© Gerry Lynch
St Peter’s is a friendly little congregation that worships predominantly using the timeless and beautiful language of the Book of Common Prayer. Services are beautiful and dignified. As well as Sunday services, the church has a pattern of weekday services, with Morning Prayer every Tuesday, and a Celtic Service once a month which draws a congregation from well beyond the village as well as locals. The Celtic service is very different in style from the other services in St Peter’s, using modern language, gentle recorded music, and prayers from the Iona Community.
Visitors are always welcome, and it’s OK to pop in for a look if you just want to try church.
The church is open for private prayer and reflection every day.
The maintenance of this church’s fabric is supported by The Friends of St Peter’s, Pouslhot.
Normal Pattern of Services
First Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Mattins
Second Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Holy Communion
Third Sunday of the Month
4 pm Evensong
Fourth Sunday of the Month
9.30 am Holy Communion
Every Tuesday
9 am Mattins
Last Wednesday of the Month
Celtic Service 3 pm (winter time) 5 pm (summer time)
Services for the coming Sunday are here.
Getting Here
The church lies about two-thirds of a mile south of the Village Green on the main Poulshot Road.
Address – off Poulshot Road, Poulshot, SN10 1SB – near the corner of Poulshot Road and Mill Lane.
What3Words – ///noodle.foot.nightcap ; Google Maps link; latitude and longitude 51.3282, -2.0527
History
St Peter’s Church lies in the vale of Seend, to the north of the Salisbury Plain. To truly appreciate the tranquil, peaceful atmosphere present within the St Peter’s, it requires a visit. There is an air of still and calm throughout the church. It is a simple, not large, stone church set apart from the village in the countryside. This makes it a quiet place, being surrounded by fields. Unlike many other historic churches, St Peter’s is a light place, with lots of sunlight, giving it a life giving and open feel. It is a place particularly suited for the Celtic services held there once a month on a Wednesday evening. Its unpretentious nature and peaceful atmosphere make it ideal for quiet contemplation and prayer. Its simplicity makes it a place to concentrate the mind and to centre oneself in the still calm.
The oldest parts of the church, including the Nave, date to the 13th Century. It underwent considerable alterations in the 15th Century. A fire in the church in 1916 destroyed the main part of the nave roof which was subsequently rebuilt.
The church was built outside of the village and to this day remains set apart from the village. This was thought to be because of Plague fears, which link with the history of St Peter’s through the presence of Plague pits in the churchyard, denoted by the location of skull and crossbones set in the stone on one side of the church. This is a fascinating part of St Peter’s history, giving reason for why the main part of Poulshot is so distant from the church. The history of St Peter’s is also found in the presence of a dole stone in the corner of the churchyard on which alms and dole would have been distributed to those in need in the village.
The churchyard is a picturesque place, with grassy verges and snowdrops in spring as well as other wildlife throughout the year. Situated where it is, it also has beautiful views of Salisbury plain and the countryside around.
The church is Grade II* listed.