www.heswallparish.co.uk

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:59:58 +0000

Sunday Services

8am Holy Communion BCP at St. Peter's Church

9.15am Parish Communion at St. Peter's Church

10.30am Morning Worship at The Lighthouse Church

10:45am Morning Worship at St. Peter's Church

6:30pm Encounter at The Lighthouse Church (every 2nd Sunday)

Find out more

War Graves

Wed, 01 May 2024 11:33:54 +0100

We have 24 War Graves in St. Peter’s Churchyard. These are for servicemen and women who died in the UK, either from their injuries having been brought home, or from enemy action in or over the UK e.g. fighter pilots. They could also be those who were killed in action overseas since the last war, and who were brought home e.g. Afghanistan. All those killed overseas during the First and Second World Wars were buried where they fell, whatever their rank.

Six of the memorial are the traditional white war gravestones; the rest, were buried in their family grave with a suitable inscription, financed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission [CWGC] There is one, for example directly opposite the vestry door.

According to CWGC there are 13,000 war grave sites in the UK, some with very few graves and there are 23,000 worldwide, in 15 different countries. There is a team of volunteers who visit each grave about once every two years, to make sure that the grave is accessible (some graveyards are not as well kept as ours) to keep the headstones clean.

The Parish Office has a map, and references where the graves are. To commemorate the centenary of the ending of the First World War, 2018, the PCC accepted the offer of a CWGC war grave sign which is placed on the wall, just inside the main Church gates at St Peter's.

History of St Peter's Church

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:39:36 +0100

As far as is known, this is the third church on the present site. It was built in 1879, four years after a violent thunderstorm had struck the previous building and lightening had killed two men during Evensong. This second church was erected in 1739, two years after John Norris had been instituted as Rector and the sketch and model can be seen by the North-West window. It was a small building without side aisles. It replaced a mediaeval church which had become dilapidated and apart from the tower, beyond restoration. No one knows exactly when the original church was built but as the list of Rectors goes back to 1300, it was probably in existence then.
All three churches are represented in the present building. The mediaeval tower has served each structure in turn. Memorial tablets, boards and font come from the eighteenth century church. The skill and artistry of our own day are well represented by the kneelers in the pews.

For more information see our brochure to read more about the history of the Church.