The original church of Bournemouth was considered an ugly building and G.E. Street was asked by Reverend Morden Bennett to create a finer church to match the beauty of the town.

The church, which sits opposite Beales, was named the founding mother church of Bournemouth. It has unusual paintings, stunning stained glass and some of the best examples of alabaster anywhere to be seen.

The church has many famous connections including William Ewart Gladstone, the Liberal Prime Minister who took his last communion at St Peter’s, Sir Dan Goddfrey who started Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1896 is buried here as well as General Richard Clement Moody, the joint founder of British Columbia.

Some of the other names include:

Lewis Tregonwell: Founder of Bournemouth.
In 1810, Tregonwell bought some land from the mayor of Christchurch and built a house next to the mouth of the River Bourne, which runs through the lower gardens today. His house was called The Mansion, now the Royal Exeter Hotel.

John Keble: Vicar at Hursley in the New Forest, a professor of poetry at Oxford and pioneer of the Oxford movement.
John and his wife moved to Bournemouth in 1865 because he believed being by the water would make his sick wife better. They stayed at ‘Brookside’, which is now the ‘Hermitage Hotel’. Unfortunately he died in 1866 and the Italianate style tower that still remains is named after him. There are also 2 stained glass windows of him dressed in his cassock in the church

The Shelley Family:
The Shelley Family has the longest connection with Bournemouth. Both Mary Wollenstonecraft Godwin, a women’s right protester and William Godwin, a radical thinker, are buried here alongside their daughter, Mary Shelley, who went on to write one of the most famous novels of all time, ‘Frankenstein’.

Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley tragically died in the Gulf of Spezia in 1822, and when his body was recovered, his friend snatched his heart. It now sits within the Shelley family vault.

Mary Shelley’s son, Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley bought land in Boscombe in order to build a house, believing that the balmy climate would help his sick wife and mother. However, Mary Shelley never lived in Boscombe Manor as she died in 1851.

Sir Percy died in 1889 and his wife, Lady Shelley died 10 years later. The entire family now rest in the family vault at St Peter’s church.

St Stephen’s Church is one of equal beauty designed by John Loughborough Pearson. It sits opposite the Town Hall and offers a haven for reflection and peace in the busy town centre.

The church was built by public subscription in memory of Reverend Morden Bennett, the first priest of St Peter’s church.

Pearson is said to have told a friend that he wished to design a church which brought people to their knees, and with St Stephens, this is believed to be the case. Every well-proportioned inch of the church adds to the beauty of it, with no one aspect standing out alone.

The worship at St Stephen’s is famous for its superb music. The large choir draws its musical inspiration from Byrd to Tavener and includes music especially written for the choir. Every summer there is a classical series of Masses by Haydn, Mozart and Schubert.

The church is open daily and Sunday’s High Mass is a worship ritual not to be missed.