St Wilfred founded a monastery in the region of Oundle, and died there in 709 AD. During recent re-ordering, the pillars of the church were found to stand on the footings of an earlier building, and documentary evidence shows that there was indeed an important Saxon church in Oundle. However, the present building dates mainly from the early thirteenth century , but some areas in the church are older than that.

A round-headed window can be seen above the chancel arch behind the organ. A double chamfered string on the north wall of the lady chapel is from the twelfth century.

Such an old and distinguished building requires constant attention and the Buildings Ministry has an ongoing job to keep this ancient landmark in good condition.

Money is raised for this purpose by The Friends of St Peter's. There is an old bier in the church and a programme of restorative work of biers is being carried out at churches throughout the deanery.

Examination of the walls before re-plastering showed that the nave stonework east of the arcades was pre-thirteenth century. It is not clear whether there was a central tower at this stage. Below the west window in the tower can be seen a carved Saxon stone which probably came from a screen in this church. The present plan of the church, with a few additions, was attained in the thirteenth century.

The crypt under the south transept, which was used as a bone house, comes from this period. The twelfth century chancel was the same width as the present one and may have been as long. A blocked lancet window in the upper room above the vestry shows that it had certainly attained its present length in the thirteenth century.

The lower parts of the tower were constructed in the late fourteenth century and completed in the fifteenth. The clerestory windows are of this period. The spire bears the date 1634, when it was rebuilt.

From about 1450 are the lectern (pictured left), which is one of Flemish workmanship, and the pulpit (pictured right), which was restored in 1966 by Miss Pauline Plummer. The gold stars on the blue background may be emblems of St Wilfred.

Above the pulpit can be seen the entrance to the former rood loft, and the corbel which supported the rood beam. The porch was added about 1455 at the expense of Robert Wyatt, a merchant of the town. The room above it may have been used as a school room. The vestry and the upper room were added a little later, and the fireplace and the garderobe show it was intended as a priest's dwelling

The interior of the church, as you see it, was created between July 1991 and September 1992 with the intention of providing a church building which is light, flexible and full of colour. Care was taken to retain,
re-use and highlight many historical features.

The Victorian reredos in the chancel sanctuary with its fine carving which has been hidden by a curtain since 1906, was brought back into use.

The medieval screens, which had stood neglected under the tower have replaced a Victorian construction incorporating some older material at the entrance to the chancel.

The chandelier over the nave sanctuary, which was moved from the west end of the nave, bears the date 1687. The early eighteenth century font was moved from the base of the tower and brought back into use in the new baptistery.

Re-plastering the walls has made the building lighter and more welcoming, and at the same time shown more clearly the fineness of its detail.

By retaining the chancel largely in its Victorian form, it is now possible to use older styles of worship when the occasion requires. At the same time, a number of spaces have been created within the building for smaller groups to meet for worship and other purposes.

Pews were replaced by chairs to give flexibility. The new nave sanctuary was designed to facilitate the style of worship which is evolving, and to allow the people to play a more active part in it. In all that has been done, the purpose has been to enhance this lovely church so that it speaks of God's welcoming love, and to make it capable of being used more fully to express the things of the spirit in every form.