Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees

The Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees is a 12th century grade I listed parish church in the village of Croft-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. Artefacts and carvings inside the church are believed to have given rise to many of the characters created by Lewis Carroll, who as a child, attended St Peter's in the 1840s when his father was rector of the church.

Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees
St Peter's Church
Croft on Tees, St Peter's Church
Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees Location within North Yorkshire
OS grid reference	NZ288098
Location	Croft-on-Tees, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	Official website
Architecture
Style	Decorated
Administration
Parish	Croft
Benefice	East Deere Street
Deanery	Richmond
Archdeaconry	Richmond and Craven
Diocese	Leeds
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Reverend Lynn Christine Thorius
Curate(s)	The Venerable Simon Jefferies Golding
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated	18 March 1968
Reference no.	1301945

The church also features in Simon Jenkins' book "England's Thousand Best Churches".

History

The church was first started in the 12th century and was added to in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries with major renovations in the late 19th century.[1] The bulk of the church is in the Decorated style with a later addition tower on the west side which is constructed of different stone to the rest of the church;[2] the exteriors walls of the church are constructed from red sandstone which is found in the Tees Valley,[3] though it has been re-inforced with brown sandstone.[4] The nave and chancel together, measure 94 feet (29 m) from west to east.[5] Whilst most of the architectural style of the building is described as Decorated, the clerestory, which was added in the 15th century, is noted for being in the Perpendicular style.[6] Anglo-Saxon crosses are to be found in the chapel and the north door area. The site has been identified as being a location of Anglo-Saxon worship.[7]

In 1680, the Milbanke family installed an elevated pew in the church (the Milbanke Pew) which is on the same level as the pulpit. It is reached via a "grand staircase" and is supported by Tuscan columns with fitted with red curtains.[8] Glynne describes the whole section of the pew and stairs leading up to it as being "ugly".[6]

The church was grade I listed in 1968[1] and includes the Todd Tomb in the churchyard, which commemorates John Todd of nearby Halnaby Hall, which is grade II listed.[9]

Simon Jenkins in his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, awards the church three stars out of five and describes it as being

..A splendid church on the Yorkshire Durham border....[that] demonstrates what fun even the least sophisticated Decorated carvers could have with the standard furnishings of the liturgy.[10]

Lewis Carroll

Between 1843 and 1868, Lewis Carroll's father was the rector at the church in Croft. The family arrived in the village when Carroll was just 11-years' old, and he stayed until he was 19 before he left for Oxford. Many items inside the church have been cited as inspiration for a varying number of characters from Carroll's work; the grinning cat on the sedilla is believed to have inspired the Cheshire Cat and the sword which John Conyers is supposed to have killed the Sockburn Worm with used to be in the church and is presented on the occasion of a new incumbent of the Bishop of Durham.[11][12]

In 2018, the sedilla was renovated as part of an £160,000 extension of the church. At the same time, a carved stone Jabberwock, which was detailed as per an original drawing of the dragon in the 1871 version of "Alice Through the Looking Glass", was added to the building.[13] The renovation, which includes Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF), will have a new visitors section with material created by pupils from Richmond School.[14]

Due to its connection with Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, the church attracts many visitors from overseas, notably Brazil, China and the United States.[15]

References

1. Historic England. "Church of St Peter  (Grade I) (1301945)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
2. "Genuki: CROFT ON TEES: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1890., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
3. "Croft Conservation Area Study" (PDF). richmondshire.gov.uk. p. 6. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
4. Hatcher 1990, p. 61.
5. Page 1914, p. 169.
6. Glynne 2007, p. 152.
7. Hatcher 1990, p. 63.
8. Winn, Christopher (2014). I never knew that about England's country churches (1 ed.). London: Ebury Press. p. 314. ISBN 978-1-78503-657-6.
9. Historic England. "Todd Tomb Approcimately[sic] 7 Metres South of the East End of Chancel of Church of St Peter  (Grade I) (1318325)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
10. Jenkins, Simon (2000). England's thousand best churches (2 ed.). London: Penguin Books. p. 775. ISBN 0-14-029795-2.
11. Lloyd, Chris (3 November 2017). "Lewis Carroll church seeks to raise £70,000 for heritage centre". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
12. Winn, Christopher (2014). I Never Knew That About England's Country Churches (1 ed.). London: Ebury Press. p. 314. ISBN 978-1-78503-657-6.
13. Richardson, Andy, ed. (27 July 2018). "Jabberwock carved into stone marks Carroll link". Darlington and Stockton Times (30–2018). p. 2. ISSN 2516-5348.
14. Richardson, Andy, ed. (16 February 2018). "Church is given £30k for centre". Darlington and Stockton Times (7–2018). p. 2. ISSN 2516-5348.
15. Wilkinson, Paul (10 November 2017). "Link with Lewis Carroll helps leaking church fund restoration". Church Times. Retrieved 17 September 2018.

Sources

• Glynne, Stephen (2007). Butler, Laurence (ed.). The Yorkshire Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne 1825–1874. Yorkshire/Suffolk: Yorkshire Achaeological Society/Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-903564-80-6.
• Hatcher, Jane (1990). Richmondshire Architecture. Richmond: Hatcher. ISBN 0-9515880-0-1.
• Page, William, ed. (1914). A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1. London: Constable. OCLC 931383007.