St Peter's

Ayot St Peter

Interior view of the Church of Ayot St Peter, Herts, Destroyed by Lightning The Pictorial World August 1st, 1874

About two miles and a half from Wheathamstead by a cross road we reach the very small Village of Ayott St. Peter, which until lately had a curious Church of an octagonal form, with a small detached brick turret as a bell tower in one corner of the churchyard. The Rev. Ralph Freeman, who became Rector of this Parish in 1782, according to Clutterbuck pulled down the old Church, and erected, entirely at his own expense, this curiously-shaped building, which a modern writer says looked very much like "a gigantic pigeon-house." This was replaced by a new Church, built in 1862 in the Norman style of architecture, which shortly after, on July 10th, 1874, was struck by lightning, and completely burned to the ground. A very handsome little Church has now been erected in its stead, which forms a prominent and pleasing object in the landscape. It is built half-a-mile nearer the Village than the old one, and was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Alban's, October 26th, 1875. The style is Early Decorated; the Church consists of a nave with north porch, a chancel with semi-circular apse, and a tower containing a peal. of six bells, the gift of Mrs. Robinson, of Ayott Bury. There are sittings for 200 persons. The living is a Rectory, in the gift of E. Prodgers, Esq.; the value, £250 per annum.

The Village Schools are neat and commodious. The Village consists of only a few scattered farm-houses and cottages, but there is a handsome Rectory House, and a Mansion in a small Park, which used to be the Rectory, now called Ayott Bury. The population is 232; the number of acres, 1100.

Young Crawley, Guide to Hertfordshire, 1880