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The small town of Bishop's Waltham was probably settled by the Saxons, not later than the seventh century. The name Waltham means settlement in the forest, whilst Bishop in its title reminds us that from 904 to 1869, with interruptions at the Reformation and during the Commonwealth, the manor belonged to the Bishop of Winchester.

Around 700 AD there was a Saxon minster here, a centre from which priests went out to preach, baptise and celebrate mass in the surrounding countryside where as yet there were no parishes, and no church buildings. In 715 Boniface or Wynfrith as he was originally called, came to the church to be blessed before embarking on his first missionary journey to Frisia. Shortly afterwards Willibald, a relation of Boniface, was receiving his education at the minster at Waltham before setting off for Rome with his father and brother.

The first Waltham together with its church was burnt by the Danes in 1001. By the time of Domesday in 1086 there was a second church, whose priest was named Radulph. Whether it collapsed, burnt down or failed to reach the more exacting standards of the new bishop we do not know.

The present church was started in 1136 by Henry of Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, brother of King Stephen, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1174. founded by him, as well as the Palace at Bishop's Waltham. In the middle ages, the palace was one of the favourite residences of bishops such as William of Wykeham and Henry Beaufort, and it was often visited by royalty. Scarcely anything remains of the twelfth century church, apart from some fragments of the south arcade capitals found in 1897, and now placed below the pulpit.

Like all mediaeval churches it has been enlarged, rebuilt and restored in succeeding centuries, to counter the ravages of time and to meet the changing needs of the generations. St. Peter's is unusual in having extensive alterations dating from the late sixteenth and mid-seventeenth centuries. It is more typical in having several nineteenth century restorations.

These begin in 1797 with the building of a gallery over the south aisle and the insertion of dormer windows to light it. By 1822 it was in danger of collapse and had to be supported with stone pillars.

In 1848 the west wall in turn was in danger of collapse and had to be rebuilt. Twenty years later the dormer windows in the south aisle roof were replaced with "windows of a more ecclesiastical character", the nave and aisles were reseated, the floors paved, and the ceilings removed to reveal the beams.

The restoration of 1894-97, was even more thorough and substantially created the church we know today.

Sir Thomas Jackson, one of the most prolific of Victorian church architects and restorers, and a pupil of Gilbert Scott, was employed. His report of 1894 was forth- right - some might say opinionated.

The south aisle gallery was dismantled together with the windows which Jackson thought "of ambitious but dubious design". The north aisle arcade was renewed, and the south rebuilt. The organ which had stood half way down the north aisle was moved to the east end of the south aisle.