St Peter's Church, Hope, Derbyshire (St Peter's Church (Hope, Derbyshire))

Member Name: micksheff

Product:	St Peter's Church (Hope, Derbyshire)
Date:	15/01/08 (536 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of history

Disadvantages: Not always open

The Parish Church of St Peter can be found in the small, picturesque town of Hope in the heart of the Peak District National Park.

Visitors, who drive through Hope on their way to Castleton 3 Kilometres further down the road, often overlook this village. However, whilst it is true that Castleton may have more to offer for the tourist, Hope is a charming little place and should not be dismissed.

Hopes Church stands on a small grassy mound in the centre of the village and dominates the area. We know that there was a Saxon Church that stood on this same spot from the 8th century AD and reference to this is made in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The present Church however dates largely from the 14th century, although there are a few of its early Norman features that have been preserved, including the font.

In addition to being architecturally very aesthetically pleasing this Church contains many interesting features. In the Churchyard there is a 9th century Saxon Preaching Cross, which despite being a little bit damaged at the top, this is in quite a good condition considering its age. Whilst inside the Church there is a 17th century wooden schoolmasters chair and an oak pulpit that was carved in 1652.

During medieval times St Peters Church was the most important Church in the whole of the Hope Valley and despite surrounding villages like Bradwell and Castleton having their own places of worship, people from these surrounding settlements would travel here frequently, weather permitting of course. In fact it is said that parishioners regularly came to Hope from Chapel en-le Frith to worship, which is some 14 Kilometres away. This weekly migration continued right into Victorian times despite Chapel en-le-Frith having its own Church, which was built in the 13th century.

Hope's Church of St Peter is famous for its many gargoyles that adorn the outer walls of this building and also for its many elaborate carvings. Gargoyles were commonly placed on the outer walls of Churches to keep away evil spirits, but it seems that the stone masons that worked on this building must have got carried away as there are well over 30 different gargoyles here.

The 8th century Saxon Cross that stands in the Churchyard is one of the earliest known examples in the whole of Britain. This cross was originally located at nearby Eccles House, but was moved here to protect it during the 19th century. It has suffered from a little bit of damage over the last 1300 years and part of its head is missing, but otherwise it is remarkably well preserved. The carving on this cross is said to be very inventive in comparison to other examples of a similar or even later date. The carvings on this cross are very similar to those found on a 10th century Cross at All Saints Churchyard in nearby Bakewell.

The Churchyard also houses a second Saxon Cross, which is of a later date, but only the shaft of this remains today. There is also a medieval Market Cross located here too, which is perched on top of an octagonal stone base.

The interior of the Church is very grand with huge stained glass windows. There are also some interesting memorials on the walls that bear symbols that are relevant to the days when this Church was part of the Royal Hunting Reserve. These symbols include images of forest officials and hunting scenes.

At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 the Parish of Hope, which was one of the largest in England and covered an area of over 40,000 acres.

The present spire of the Church is in a stubby-broach style and dates from the 16th century whilst the chancel was rebuilt during the late 19th century. Part of this building was re-roofed during the 1970s.

I have visited Hope many times and I often take a stroll through the Churchyard, which is always very well maintained. The majority of the headstones and memorials date from the period 1750-1870 although there are some slabs on the floor, which are earlier than this. These date from the latter half of the 17th century and I was told by a local that these were moved here from another smaller Church (now demolished) that was located somewhere between Hope and Bradwell, although I have never been able to find any factual evidence to support this.

When I first used to come to Hope as a child the doors of this Church were always open but these days it is unfortunately usually locked. Visiting the inside of this Church nowadays is usually by prior arrangement with the Parish Church at Bradwell. Although if you are lucky you may drop on it when it is open just before or after a service has taken place. There is a Sunday Service here at 9.15am.

The Church of St Peter is now linked with the Parish Churches of Bradwell and Hathersage to form a super Parish.

Summary: This Derbyshire Church dates from the 14th century