St Peter's Church - Origins

The church dedicated to St Peter is thought to stand on the site of a Christian church built for the local Christian community in Roman times, rebuilt perhaps by St Augustine and his monks in Saxon days, on its original site just of the main street of the city.

Evidence of its early origins can be seen in the tower which incorporates Roman tiles, and, at its lower levels, Saxon quoins or cornerstones. The tower in its present form dates from c1100 and houses four ancient bells; one case c1325 by William le Beltere, another c1430 by William Wodewarde, one by Thomas Palmar c1637 and the fourth by Thomas Hatch of Ulcombe c1599 (recast 1905).