It’s happened! St Peter’s Church is now Open.
The Bishop of Basingstoke, the Rt Revd David Williams, along with a host of dignitaries presided over our opening celebration this evening – Friday 26th August 2022.
From the height of the fire on Thursday, 19 June 2014 at 11:10 – until today Friday, 26 August 2022, 18:30 it has been 8 years, 2 months, 7 days, 7 hours and 20 minutes!
From this tragic fire a wonderful new building has emerged, with enough of the original structure remaining to appear very similar externally to the casual observer. We all hope and pray that this modern space will serve the village for hundreds of years to come.
Opening Party Image Gallery
A splendid collection of photos from our Opening Ceremony and Drinks Party – taken by Gordon Brown. Thanks to Gordon for these photos – they really capture the wonderful atmosphere of August 26th.
Before the Fire and After Rebuilding Comparison
See how St Peter’s looked before the fire (2002) and at the re-opening in 2022. The photos are looking East towards the chancel and altar and taken from near the South door. To the left in the before the fire image you can see the organ which was completely destroyed in the fire. The columns separating the original Nave from the side aisle were too badly damaged to be retained.
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