PEAKIRK. PEGA'S CHURCH
Mid February 2009, and the UK was still recovering from the heaviest snowfall in 20 years or so. A few days previously London had been brought to a standstill bu heavy snowstorms. We laughed at them...but three days later it was our turn and we ground to a halt equally as fast as our capital!
Three days after the blizzard I visited as many churches as I could whilst the snow was still on the ground. Managed eight churches on the Saturday, with the church of St Pega at Peakirk being one of these. Peakirk is a little off the beaten track and I had a mile or so walk from my previous stop at Glinton. A lovely walk in what was still quite deep snow. A few sledgers were out and about and the view out over the fields was lovely.
A small and well kept village, with some very lovely old cottages. Amazingly, considering that this villages is off the beaten track a little, there was a very decent second hand and collectors bookshop a little way down the road from the church.
The church is named after St Pega. She was the brother of Guthlac, who set up a hermitage in the Peterborough fens. Pega built her hermitage in imitation of her brother. Guthlac and Pega came from one of the great noble families, and it seems as if Pega received a grant from the King to set up her hermitage. It is said that the current church at Peakirk is built on the site of Pega's retreat. Interestingly, the history books state that Pega sailed up the river Welland to attend her brothers funeral, and cured a blind man from Wisbech on the way.
This church was built in the 11th Century, and the dedication to St Pega is a unique one. A north aisle was added in 1170, with a south aisle added some 50 years later. This church is nationally famous for a series of wall paintings, mainly to be found on the north aisle. Wall paintings were common in Churches before stained glass windows and were used to teach morality in an age in which few people could read or write.
These were found really by accident. In 1945 traces of colour were seen when a bracket was inserted in to the wall of the north aisle in order that a curtain pole be fixed up. This brought away some lime wash and it was evident that that a wall painting had been limewashed over at some point. By 1950, a whole series of wall paintings had been uncovered depicting the Passion Cycle. No fewer than 11 wall paitnings were found intact, a major find and one that has made this small church nationally famous.
St Pega was open when I visited. Quite a lot of stained glass windows to be found here. Most of these, I believe, are Edwardian but there is one modern piece which pictures St Pega surrounded by Swans. A nice piece.
A beautifully carved norman doorway sits on the South side of the church. A bellcote on the west end is said to also date from Norman times.
The church itself is peaceful and quiet. Set at the side of a village green, which was deserted when I visited with the exception of a dozen or so snowmen. Just a little way up from the church is a village cross.
The church grounds are well maintained and there are some very well carved Georgian stones to be seen. Some of these looked particularly attractive with a covering of snow on them.
In places a thaw had started, and Spring flowers had started to poke through the snow. In other places though the snow was still deep and was liable to remain that way for some days to come.
A nice place to visit whatever the weather! Headed back towards Glinton and then on to nearby Northborough where my snowbound churchcrawl was to end for the day.
