St Peter's has a congregation that varies in age from the young to the young at heart! We aim to be a caring, sharing community that encourages each other and demonstrates the love of God out into the wider population of Carlton Colville and wherever we may roam.
We are a Church of England parish church with an open evangelical tradition with a variety of worship styles.
Our Rector, Rev Andrea Woods, joined us in September 2024. We also have a Licensed Lay Minister, Mark Ellis, and an Authorised Pastoral Assistant, Sharon Brown.
Our History
The first Rector is recorded as William de Weston, appointed in 1326. It is thought that there had probably been a Saxon Church on the site; as, in those days, such appointments were usually for just such situations. There have been a total of forty-one subsequent appointments ranging through tenures of just two years up to one of sixty-one years.
One of those with a longer stay as Rector, William Hale Andrews, was reported in some local newspapers, as having had the whole church rebuilt from ground level at his own expense. The roof is definitely of Victorian vintage as is the pulpit, choir stalls the reredos and also things no longer in view, such as the pews and tessellated tiling on the floor. However, other evidence would indicate a large but partial reconstruction; the join can be clearly seen on one of the external walls. You cannot always rely on newspapers to state the whole unembroidered truth.
Our Building
St Peter's has been modernised with a floor being raised to the height of the outside outside ground level in an effort to allow access for wheelchairs and those with mobility problems. The pews were found to be, mostly, in poor condition. So they were removed and replaced with modern upholstered chairs. Towards the back of the seating area, youngsters have their own area to share with parents or grandparents.
In 2023 we installed the latest in projection equipment with both projector and screen ceiling mounted with wireless connectivity via HDMI. These are augmented by our already installed professional speakers.
Our Churchyard
Our churchyard is well attended by those looking after the graves of loved ones, dog walkers and those just taking one of the footpaths through it.
Our churchyard contains several Commonwealth War Graves, as well as several other graves to others killed in the 2 world wars.
Our churchyard is managed by a small team, with reference to conservation reports and visits by Suffolk WIldlife Trust and East Suffolk Council 'Nature at Work'. This means some areas will only be cut/managed once or twice a year before and after the wild flowers have flowered and sowed their seed for the following year. Other areas with well attended graves will be regularly mowed throughout the summer.
Revised: 20260213