St Peters in Thanet Church - An insight from Rev Matt & Rev Alice
Episode notes
St. Peter’s church is in the centre of the Village of St. Peter’s, Broadstairs. It is largely of the Norman period in construction and is linked to St. John’s Church, Margate and St. Lawrence Church, Ramsgate. These three churches were chapels of ease to the mother church of St. Mary’s, Minster.
There is no definite date for the original construction of St Peter’s but 1050 is quoted for St. John’s and 1062 for St. Lawrence therefore it is likely that between these dates St. Peter’s Chapel was constructed.
The South aisle was the first chapel at St Peters, standing alone, but the church was enlarged to the north in 1180-1185.
The present building has a late Norman nave and an Early English Chancel. The battlemented tower and the south porch are in the Perpendicular architectural style from the 15th Century. The tower is a prominent feature and, for long the highest point in Thanet, it was used as a Naval signalling station in Napoleonic times and still claims the right to fly the White Ensign.