Peterborough's Parish Church

The present St John the Baptist Church is situated in Cathedral Square and is only a few minutes walk away from Peterborough Cathedral. This seemingly strange state of affairs is due to the fact that the cathedral was for the monks and the church for the townspeople. It is officially designated as Peterborough's parish church and, as such, its vicar bears the title of the Vicar of Peterborough. 


It is somewhat overshadowed by its grandiose neighbour, but is a Grade 1 listed building. Peterborough has had a parish church since the 11th century.  Shortly after the Norman Conquest the monks of Peterborough established a parish church on land to the east of their abbey. Floods in this area made accessing the church difficult.  After the market was established outside the western gate of the abbey the locus of the town moved to this side of the town. The people petitioned for the church to be moved and so it was, stone by stone.

The present building was dedicated by Abbot Genge on 26th June 1407 and dedicated to St John the Baptist.  It was built of materials from the old church and the nave of the Chapel of St Thomas Becket, near the west gate to the abbey, together with timber brought from Milton Park.

The church tower was originally built with a spire, but in the late 1820s this had to be removed as the building was found to be in an unsafe state.  In 1881 a high gale blew the eat pinnacle off the tower and it crashed through the aisle roof. After this disaster an extensive work of restoration was undertaken between 1881-3, when the interior took its present shape.