St Peter's Church, Leicester

St Peter’s Church stands in Leicester’s Highfields area as a Grade II listed Anglican parish church. The building was designed by George Edmund Street and opened in 1874 as the Howe Memorial Church, honouring Richard Curzon-Howe, the first Earl Howe. Its stone spire was removed in 1968 and the structure fell into disrepair, reaching the Heritage at Risk register by 2014. A major restoration between 2018 and 2021 repaired the tower, roof and stonework using grants from the Heritage Lottery, Leicester City Council and church funds. The church has been served by a succession of incumbents since its opening. The first vicar, F. W. Robinson, arrived in 1874 and served until 1893. Among later clergy, William Thompson Elliott came from Bradford in 1917, and Edward Wilson Carlile began his ministry in 1960. The organ, built by Joshua Porritt in 1875, was enlarged by Stephen Taylor and Son in 1910 and remains in use today. Inside, the church contains the restored Porritt organ and the original memorial architecture designed by Street. The nave and chancel preserve their 19th-century character, while the repaired tower now stands free of risk. The building sits in a quiet part of Highfields, close to St Philip’s Church in the same benefice.