St Peter's House, Old Market, Beccles

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 9 Aug 2023

The house was built on the site of St Peter's chapel, the southern apsidal end of which can be seen on the left, painted white. The earliest mention of the chapel, with its dedication to St Peter, the fisherman, was in 1388, when it was mentioned in wills of at least 86 Becclesians who left money "to the fabric of the chapel of St Peter". The chapel had its own graveyard also mentioned in a will "to be buried in the churchyard of the church of St Peter of Becclis (sic) by the west entrance" (now the rear garden of the house). In 1750 Rix comments "Mr Crowfoot at the upper end of his tan office showed me two old towers or circular buildings which he tells me are the remains of St Peter’s Church." No long after that the chapel was deconsecrated and the graveyard began to be built upon until we see what remains today 270 years later. The two "towers" remain within the domestic structure, which has during that time been occupied by the great and good of townsfolk including names such as Rede, Crowfoot, Clifton, Phillips, Brewster, Le Grys and Leman.

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