History

Two hundred years ago, a group of people began to meet in the Tontine Hotel for Christian fellowship in the Episcopal tradition. Today, St Peter’s Church is still first and foremost about its people. Our congregation encompasses new-born babies and those in their nineties, those who have been coming all their lives and those who have only just discovered us, those who were born here and those from distant lands.

Our church building sits prominently by Peebles Mercat Cross, and the main part was designed by William Burn in 1836. In the 1880s a more ornate Chancel was added with choir stalls, and more recently a Heritage Lottery-funded restoration put everything in good order for the 21st Century.

Music has always been an important part of life at St Peter’s, and in 1909 a new Harrison and Harrison pipe organ was installed, which supports our choir and congregation in worship most weeks. The organ is a classic H&H “Multum in Parvo” design but with an extra Choir manual – a cathedral organ in miniature, and one of the smallest three manual church organs in existence. Visiting organists are very welcome to play the instrument by arrangement.