St. Peter

SIMON LATHAM

St. Peter

St. Peter is located inside Peterborough Cathedral, near the great west door. The Cathedral was dedicated to St Peter and encircled by a barrier known as a burgh; as a result, the town that surrounds the abbey became known as Peter-burgh. The sculpture carved by Simon Latham, resident artist at Peterborough Cathedral between May-December, 1991. The sculpture was a gift from Sir Stephen and Lady Hastings and was carved from a piece of oak from the Milton Estate.

Peterborough Cathedral, also known as St Peter’s Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough and is dedicated to St Peter, St Paul, and St Andrew. The Cathedral was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period with mostly Norman construction¹. The Western transept and the Great West Front Portico were added in 1237, and the Cathedral is mostly made of Barnack limestone. Many of Cambridge’s earliest colleges were constructed with Barnack limestone². The East End was added at the beginning of the C16, but the structure of the building has remained intact since then.

This sculpture was inspired by a passage in St Matthew’s Gospel (14:28–29) which describes Peter in the gospel was a hesitant young man stepping out of a boat to try and walk on water to join Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

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