The village of Peterchurch has certainly got a very aptly name. The original church was Saxon from the 8th century, maybe even older from Celtic times. According to legend St Peter passed through the area on his way to Rome! Doesn’t sound to me like the most direct route to take, but whom am I to judge. It anyway explains both the name of the church and the village.
The church is a mix of many different periods. Saxon stonework in the Sanctuary but mainly Norman with a bell tower from the 13th century. But most interesting the spire was remade in 1972 and is made of fibreglass (!) sitting atop a 13th C tower with walls that are 7 feet thick. Peterchurch, situated in the Welsh Marches, needed a tower that could withstand attacks from the Welsh, when the original bell tower was built.
I went there because of my interest in ancient yew trees; see my post about Discoed Church in Wales, An Ancient yew Tree. The yew tree here at the churchyard in Peterchurch is dated to be more than 2,000 years old. The yew tree had a symbolic and religious importance in the country of the British Isles long before Christianity had been established. Churches were often built at historic sanctuaries. Read more about the importance of yew trees in the previous post I was referring to.
