Church of St Peter and St Paul

St Peter and St Paul’s is a Church of England parish church in Kettering, Northamptonshire. It stands on a gentle rise in the centre of the town, its tall spire visible for miles across the flat countryside. The building is mainly Perpendicular in style, rebuilt in the mid 15th century after earlier parts had fallen into disrepair. Inside, the chancel still shows the delicate lines of the Early Decorated style from about 1300. Two medieval wall paintings survive on the walls, one showing angels with feathered wings and another a faded saint. The church was given Grade I listed status for its historic importance. The church’s history reaches back to at least 1219–20, when its first known priest became rector. In the 20th century the tower guided Second World War fighter pilots to Grafton Underwood airfield because its spire was the tallest point for miles. Local author J. L. Carr carved the statues of St Peter and St Paul above the North Door in 1984 to replace those lost in the Reformation. A new ring of twelve bells was cast in 2004 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The organ case dates from 1892–93 and was rebuilt in the late 20th century. Visitors step into a wide nave with clear lines of the Perpendicular style. The chancel arch frames the Decorated east end, where the medieval paintings catch the light. The North Door shows Carr’s newly carved figures of the two apostles. Above, the spire rises 55 metres, its crockets catching the sky. The ring of twelve bells sounds across the town on special occasions. The church shares its parish with St Michael and All Angels’, another Kettering landmark.