St Peter’s Church, Over Wallop

Introduction

It is probable that a church has existed on the present site since Saxon times. The Manors of the Wallops were of sufficient importance to warrant a church situated in the upper part of the Wallop valley. In the Domesday survey the estate in the Wallops held by Countess Gueda, wife of Earl Godwin of Wessex and mother of King Harold the Second, is recorded as having a chapel and a church. As the neighbouring parish of Nether Wallop has an important Saxon church, still preserving some of the original Saxon fabric, it is probable that the chapel referred to in the survey was situated where the present church stands, although there is no evidence remaining to prove this or enable us to visualise its appearance or size.

The building you see today is the end result of a considerable amount of restoration and rebuilding which took place during the third quarter of the nineteenth century and the historical development of the original church has therefore been much obscured. The choir and chancel, dedicated by the Bishop of Nottingham on St Peter’s Day 1866, were entirely rebuilt to the design of John Loughborough Pearson, architect to Truro Cathedral, at the expense of the Rector, the Rev Henry John Fellowes, a member of the Wallop family, who became Rector in 1852.

This is an extract from the Guidebook which has recently been reprinted and is available in the church for purchase (£2-00) or by post to UK addresses for £2-90 (apply to info@stpetersoverwallop.co.uk ) 

To read about the Bells, click on http://www.overwallopparishcouncil.org.uk/bell-ringers.html