Gallery: Have you ever noticed the details inside St Peter and St Paul's Church?

IT'S a jewel in the heart of Wisbech's crown - but how many of us have ever taken notice of the fine details inside St Peter and St Paul's Church?

Look closely, and you will see the 800-year-old church is home to stained glass windows from the medieval period, commemorative stones which mark the death of Thomas Clarkson's parents and an organ rated as one of the finest in East Anglia.

St Peter and St Paul's Church, in its present state, was built in 1187 when a Norman stone castle was built to replace an earlier wooden structure.

Its design - of a double nave and twin chancels - and its construction reflected the wealth and prosperity of the medieval guilds that built the church.

The high church altar dates back to the early 17th century. A mosaic depicting the scene of the last supper, dating from 1885, sits behind the altar.

Also near the altar are two commemorative stones which mark the deaths of the Rev John Clarkson and Ann Clarkson, the parents of the slave trade abolitionist Thomas Clarkson.

And, to the right of the altar, are some finely-carved misericords (mercy seats) where priests would have sat. Just above these are the only remaining medieval stained glass windows in the church.

One of the church's chancels is hidden by the organ, built in 1951 by Harrison and Harrison. It includes pipework from earlier instruments and is rated by many as one of the finest organs in East Anglia.

And near the south door of the church is a Royal Coat of Arms. It is eight feet tall and was painted during the reign of King Charles II.

One of the church's original Norman towers collapsed in a storm in 1450, and it was replaced with a new central arcade with lofty arches and pillars. The new tower was not built into the 1530s, slightly detached from the main part of the church.