In 1861 Benjamin and Rosamira Lancaster founded 'The Nursing Sisters of the Church of England'. In 1864 'to avoid confusion and mistakes' with other sisterhoods, the name was changed to 'The Home and Sisterhood of St Peter'. 

The first homes were 27 and 48 Brompton Square, before they moved to larger premises at Kilburn in 1869. In 1882, the sisters were given land on Maybury Hill. A Memorial Home was built in memory of Rosamira, who had died in 1874. The first phase opened in 1885, and the last was the chapel in 1900.

The Memorial Home became the Convent in 1944; as numbers declined a New Convent for the remaining sisters was built in the grounds in 1990. This closed in 2007 and was redeveloped as The Pinnacles.  

The chapel is now owned by The Society of St Pius X, a Catholic priestly society using the Latin Mass, and is called The Church of the Holy Cross.

Image: West Front of St Peter’s Convent and Chapel, Courtesy of Surrey History Centre