St Peter-in-Ely or St Peter's
Church, Ely, is a Church of England Proprietary Chapel in Ely,
Cambridgeshire, England, located on Broad Street. The chapel is
in the Diocese of Ely and follows the Anglo-Catholic or
high-church tradition of the Church of England.
It is a stone structure in the Early Decorated Period style and
consists of chancel, nave, south porch and south-west bell
turret with one bell. The architects responsible are named in a
contemporary press report as 'St Aubyn and Wadling of London'.
Mr H.J. Wadling attended the dedication service as 'architect'.
The east window is a notable work from the studio of Charles
Eamer Kempe and there is a wooden screen and rood loft designed
by Sir Ninian Comper.
The building opened for worship in 1890 with the intention of
ministering to those living and working in Ely's riverside
district.
In the late 1880s Catharine Maria Sparke, widow of Canon Edward
Bowyer Sparke (son of Bowyer Sparke), decided to build a church
in memory of her husband, who had been keenly aware of the need
for a church for Ely's riverside district. The new church was
built at a cost of £5,000 on land that had previously been an
orchard. On St Peter's Day 1889 the foundation stone was laid,
and on 30 June 1890 the church was dedicated to St Peter by the
Bishop of Ely, Lord Alwyne Compton and opened for worship.
Maria Sparke established a trust for the building and
establishment of the church and for the provision of a priest or
curate, who would be responsible for holding services in
accordance with the Doctrines and Liturgies of the Church of
England.
As a Proprietary Chapel, St Peter-in-Ely is owned and
administered by the Trustees of St Peter's Church, a Registered
Charity.
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