St. Peter at Chelmsford Cathedral

Sat upon the exterior of Chelmsford Cathedral is a sculpture of St. Peter. Located on the southeast corner of the South Transept, this modern carving of the saint, produced by Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones, blends traditional symbolism with a few subtly contemporary touches.

Officially ‘The Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, St Peter, and St Cedd’, it is unsurprising that the church depicts the significant saint. St. Peter, traditionally recognized as the first Pope, is often depicted holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in recognition of the authority bestowed upon him by Jesus.

While the carving remains faithful to traditional symbolism, its style is distinctly modern. For example, in his carving, Huxley-Jones stayed true to this iconic key imagery with a twist, portraying St. Peter with an enlarged Yale key in his hand. Additionally, in a further modernized symbolic feature, St. Peter is dressed in fisherman's boots, a nod to the disciple's humble origins as a fisherman and his connection to the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Its position is no coincidence, this depiction of St. Peter faces towards Bradwell and (the chapel) St. Cedd established upon arriving in Essex, connecting the cathedral to the roots of the faith in Essex.