St Peter's Church, London Docks

The altar and stained-glass windows.

St Peter's Church, London Docks, is a wonderful hidden gem.

The Wapping Lane entrance.

Although it is clearly visible from Raines Mansions Park and Raine Street, its main entrance is situated on Wapping Lane. It is this entrance, behind a double-arched covered forecourt, that brings you to the courtyard from where you access the church. 

The tiled entranceway, with steps leading up to residential properties, that brings you to the church courtyard and entrance is wonderful to explore in itself. 

Even then the simple facade of the church belies what you will discover inside. From this elevation the church doesn't seem too impressive, but how wrong that assumption is.

The tiled entrance to the church courtyard.

On entering St Peter's, London Docks, you find yourself in a far bigger church than the small west facing entrance implies. The high roof, with its exposed beams, gives a real sense of space, with stained-glass windows taking up the upper portion of the east wall.

Going through an arched entrance, to the right, is the baptismal font in the baptistry. This stands at the end of the south aisle, the walls of which are adorned with various images of the 'Stations of the Cross'. A small doorway leads you into the small 'Shrine of Our Lady Walsingham'. This space has three small stained-glass windows and a half dozen chairs, set out before an altar.

Heading back into the south aisle, and on into the nave, you get a real appreciation for the stained-glass window, high above the altar. 

A painting of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus sitting on London Docks.

In the north aisle there is a painting of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus sitting on London Docks, painted by a local artist, which is a wonderful piece. Beside this a spiral staircase leads up to the organ. 

There is so much to see, within this church, that I shall be returning to take a more detailed look.

Brief History.

The Society of the Holy Cross was founded as an Anglo-Catholic society of priests who live under a common rule of life that informs their priestly ministry and charisma. 

The society was founded on Wednesday February 28, 1855, at the chapel of the House of Charity, Soho, London, by six priests. One of these priests was Father Charles Lowder, who would go on to found St Peter’s, London Docks.

At the time Wapping was one of the poorest areas of London, home to hardworking dock workers, but also home to petty criminals and prostitutes. Father Lowder's work began with a group of Clergy and Sisters providing practical care through schools, clubs, cheap canteens, child care and spiritual care through a wide range of services, centred on the Mass at the Mission Churches.

The west wall with the door to the church.

Work began on the church on Thursday June 29 1865, which was St Peter's Day, and was consecrated in 1866, to a design by Frederick Hyde Pownall. On the laying of its foundation stone the organist, Thomas Worsley Staniforth, composed the hymn tune 'Jerusalem my happy home'. This building replaced a tin church that Lowder had been using for the last ten years.

Charles Lowder described the church as "later First Pointed Gothic"

Soon after the church opened the East End was ravaged by cholera. Father Lowder organised the care of the sick to be administered by Sisters of Mercy. At the same time he raised funds for a tented hospital.

Charles Lowder died in 1880 and Maurice Bingham Adams was asked to build extensions to the church. Between 1884-1894 a baptistery, chapel and mortuary were added. Further work was carried out on the church during the 1930s and early 1940s, only for the church to be bombed during The Blitz.

Repair work was undertaken and completed in 1949.

On Saturday September 29, 1973, the church was Grade I listed.

In 1985, the church was completely renovated.