Judy Dewey is curator at Wallingford Museum

VISITORS approaching Wallingford across the medieval bridge cannot fail to notice the elegant spire of St Peter’s church: a familiar landmark with a history reflecting the changing fortunes of the town.

The medieval church of St Peter’s was destroyed during the 17th century Civil War, leaving only the churchyard still in use.

Other town churches were also Civil War casualties: All Hallows, in Castle Street, pulled down to provide materials for re-fortifying the castle (again, the churchyard survived) and St Leonard’s, so damaged by use as a barracks and stabling that it was not re-opened until 1704.

It took until 1769 for the town to rebuild St Peter’s church.

Money was raised by public subscription, encouraged by Judge William Blackstone, the town’s Recorder (legal advisor), who lived in nearby Castle Priory.

At the time, Blackstone was working on his ‘Commentaries on the Laws of England’ (published 1769), which rapidly became an essential legal textbook.

Following the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, his work was used by those drawing up the Constitution and legal system of the new United States – Blackstone is therefore better known in the USA than in England (though in Wallingford a new school was named after him in 1958).

Blackstone himself gave £50 to the basic church subscription, but his influence helped raise more money, ranging from £200 each from Wallingford’s two MPs and £100 from the Earl of Abingdon, to just 5s.3d (26p) from the lowliest donors.

Subscriptions paid most of the final bill of £1433.7s.0d and the new church was opened for worship on St Peter’s day, June 29, 1769.

It was a simple squared-ended building, with a tower at the west end and furnishings of box pews and a three-decker pulpit.

More was yet to come: by 1776 a further £746.1s.10d had been raised to add the spire, a clock and a bell.

The spire was designed by Sir Robert Taylor (architect to the Bank England), who insisted that the tower was strong enough only for one bell – a disappointment at the time.

The clock had faces on the west and south (Blackstone, who gave £30 to the spire appeal, also paid personally for the southern clock face, so he could see the time from his house!).

The total height of the tower and spire, including the 9ft 6in (2.9m) ‘vane and spindle’, was 118ft 4in (36.07m).

Finally, in 1904, an apsidal chancel was added.

St Peter's continued in use as a church for 200 years to the day – the final service was on 29 June 1969.

It is now in the safe hands of the Churches Conservation Trust, usually open 10am-4pm.

From May to September each year it is the venue for a wonderful series of evening concerts (musicatstpeterswallingford.org.uk).

To discover more about the town’s history, you can join a Saturday guided tour at 11am from under the Town Hall (£5, no need to book) or visit Wallingford Museum (wallingfordmuseum.org.uk).