History of St Peter's Church, Battersea

In 1874 the riverfront in Battersea was a thriving industrial area filled with warehouses, docks, several mills and large factories for silk, starch, candles and other materials. Between the river and Clapham Junction grew streets of terraced houses for the local workers and their families. As a response to the growing population a temporary church building and school house were erected on a small plot of land on Plough Road.  At that time a local man, George Cubitt (born 4/6/1828) who later became the 1st Baron Ashcombe, gave £5000 for a permanent building and this paid for the construction of a larger church on the site. The foundation stone was laid on St Peter’s day, 1875. Consecration of the site took place exactly a year later. One description read: "This is one of architect White’s simple brick churches. The builder was Carter. The Church has a rather wide but short nave,  with an apse at the west end. There is only one window in the aisles, and the light comes from the clerestory, which is carried round the western apse as well. There is no chancel arch, and the chancel is of one bay only: On the south side is an organ chamber and vestry.  The glass in the eastern triplet is made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne; the glass in the east of the north chapel, by Clayton and Bell and the glass in the north of the chapel, by Tower." The tower was not part of the original building plan but was added later.  It was built in similar brick with a gabled spire and appeared large in proportion to the rest of the church. This was completed in 1911. (adapted from 'Parish Churches of London', Basil F L Clarke, Batsford, 1966)

For the end of the 19th and most of the 20th Century St Peter's Church continued to serve the local population that lived in the rows of terraced houses behind Clapham Junction, many of whom worked in the factories and docks by the river.  The church building was used regularly as a place of worship for nearly 100 years. Sunday worship was a regular feature for local families who were often baptised, confirmed and married under its roof.

In the late 1950's and through the 1960's the landscape around the church changed dramatically. The rows of terraced houses behind Clapham Junction were demolised to make way for the  construction of the Winstanley Estate and neighbouring housing estates. St Peter's once grand imposing spire now competed for dominance with the new high rise flats.

           

Tragedy struck in 1970 when the church was destroyed by fire on Bonfire Night. It is said that this was started by stray fireworks. Early reports of smoke from the building were discounted and soon the blaze had reduced the building to a shell. The tower and spire, which were seperate from the main church building, survived. Due to under-insurance of the church a replacement was not affordable at that time.

The open space, by then a rare thing on the WInstanley Estate, found other uses including a make-shift adventure playground for local children.

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