A post-Vatican II church and hall, consisting of two octagons with appendages. 

In 1920 a church dedicated to St Peter was opened in Biggleswade, served by Assumptionists from Hitchin. The foundation stone for the present church was laid by Bishop Grant on 11 May 1972. It was designed by the local firm of F.C. Levitt and Partners, and intended as a dual-purpose church and hall. It opened in 1973.

Description

The building largely comprises two octagons, a larger double-height one for the main worship space, and a smaller single-storey one for a meeting room. Wrapping around these are linking single storey elements (entrance lobby, WCs, sacristy etc). The shallow pitched roofs are largely hidden by parapets. The external walls are faced in yellowish-pink stock brick with concrete copings to the parapets. The windows are of powder coated aluminium,  with  a large area  of  glazing  on the south side of  the church, and clerestory glazing on the west side.

The entrance porch area leads into a lobby with the small octagonal meeting room to the left and WCs to the right. The main worship space is octagonal, with a square-ended recess for the sanctuary. The internal walls are faced in bare brick, apart from the sanctuary recess, which is plastered and painted white. Concrete ribs rise up at each of the angles of the octagon, with pine boarding in between. There are no fixed furnishings of great interest, although the present parish priest has acquired some good nineteenth and early twentieth century liturgical items.

Heritage Details