Church of St Peter, Great Berkhamsted

]] It is not known exactly when the first church was built on the site of St Peter's, but it is not the oldest church in the area; the church of St Mary in Northchurch, about 1.4 mi north-west of St Peter's, is estimated to be Saxon in origin and was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). The advowson of a church of Berkhamsted – probably that of St Mary's – along with the advowson of the chapel of the castle, was granted to the monastery of Grestein Abbey in Normandy sometime between 1087 and 1104 by William, Count of Mortain. It was about this time that the Parish of Great Berkhampstead was created.

The church is in a cruciform layout, and measures 168 ft from the west door to the east window and the width across the transepts is 90 ft. The oldest part of the church is the chancel which is dated at c.1200, the foundation of the church, and it is in the Early English style common in that period. The transepts, erected during the reign of Edward II are from the Decorated Period.

Newman's successor, Rev John Napier, was instituted as rector of St Peter's in 1639 but ejected by Parliament during the English Civil War and was replaced by a series of "intruder" priests installed by Parliament: George Phippon, William Harrison, David Bramley (or Bramble) and Richard Lee. After 18 years living in Buckinghamshire, Napier had his own restoration as rector of Great Berkhamsted in 1670 and remained in office until 1681. During his absence, Napier continued to record the baptisms of his own children in the Berkhamsted parish register, signing himself as rector. Another long-standing rector was Napier's successor, Rev Robert Brabant, whose ministry also lasted over 40 years…