Framing England's History: Heritage Crime at St Peter's Church, Claydon
© Wendy Eastbrook
Churches Conservation Trust works with specialist craftspeople to conserve and repair, and to minimise the environmental impact on the historic windows in our care.
St Peter’s Church, Claydon, stands proudly atop a ridge on the eastern side of the Gipping Valley in Suffolk. It came into the care of CCT on 21 July 1987. Almost 27 years to the day later, the dedicated volunteers who care for St Peter’s reported heartbreaking news: the stained-glass window depicting St Peter, located to the right of the altar, had been struck by vandals, shattering several pieces of ornate glass.
The community, alongside CCT, is now working to raise funds to restore this remarkable window. More than just an image of the church’s patron saint, it symbolises the resilience and constancy of a sacred place that has served its community for over 1,000 years.
Repairs are estimated to cost £2,200. Please consider supporting this important project by donating using the button below.
© CCT
Currently, the window is boarded up, casting a shadow over the chancel and the congregation. Sadly, this is not the first time in St Peter’s long history that this window has suffered damage. As the inscription at the base of the current window reveals, it replaced the original, which was destroyed by a parachute mine during the Second World War.
St Peter’s has been a site of worship and community gathering for over a thousand years. The church’s two western corners feature large quoins (cornerstones) arranged in a style known as “long and short work,” dating the core of the nave to the Saxon period. The inner arch of the south doorway may also be Saxon, though it likely dates from the Norman period—around 1100. Between the late 1300s and early 1400s, the nave received its present windows and doorways, the tower was constructed, and, later in the 15th century, a porch was added to the north side. It was during this time that the nave roof was built, and the font was installed—accompanied by rich decoration and carving, much of which was lost during the Reformation.
On 22 January 1644, the Puritan church inspector William Dowsing visited St Peter’s, reporting that “we broke down 3 superstitious pictures and gave order to take down 3 crosses on the steeple and one on the church.”
A new chapter began in May 1846, when the Reverend George Drury arrived as rector. A committed supporter of the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, Drury sought not only to restore beauty and dignity to Anglican worship, but also to renovate churches as fitting spaces for such reverence. Inspired by the Oxford Movement and the Ecclesiologists—who promoted restorations based on medieval design—Drury undertook significant work at St Peter’s. An amateur architect, stone and wood carver, and stained-glass maker, many of his personal contributions remain visible today.
Your donations make a difference.
To ensure that this historic and ornate church continues to inspire future generations, please consider making a donation toward the conservation of the damaged window. You can do so online by clicking the "Donate" button or by calling the Fundraising Team on 0800 206 1463.
Date written: 9th July 2025