About
Peter Bevington
Peter Bevington began his career in 1971 as a residential social worker and teacher at the Quinta School in Oswestry, England — a place that would shape not just his professional life, but his future as an author. Decades later, now retired, Peter felt a growing sense of responsibility to tell the story of the Quinta estate, a story that spanned centuries and touched countless lives.
What began as a professional posting soon became a lifelong connection. “By virtue of my history,” Peter said, “I realised I might know more about this place than anyone else. And that gave me a responsibility — even a calling — to tell its story.”
An Unbelievable Inheritance traces the history of the Quinta from the early 1800s to the present day. Once a 3,000-acre aristocratic estate owned by a major landed family, it eventually passed to a wealthy Manchester industrialist during the rise of the cotton trade. Later, the estate was entrusted to charitable and faith-based organisations — most notably Barnardos and, eventually, Operation Mobilisation.
“In the first few chapters alone,” Peter told me, “I mention five kings or queens and two prime ministers. One of them even has a bust in the Oval Office.” The scope of the story is both intimate and epic, rooted in one location but connected to major historical figures and movements.
Today, the Quinta is home to a 280-bed conference centre and serves as the UK headquarters for Operation Mobilisation (OM), one of the world’s largest Christian mission organisations, with teams working in over 140 countries. It is no exaggeration to say that this small patch of English countryside has had global reach.
Rather than claiming sole authorship, Peter describes himself as the book’s “guide.” With around 10% of the content contributed by others and more than 30 people providing stories, memories, and material, the book is very much a collective effort. “It’s not just my story,” he said. “It belongs to all the people who’ve lived or worked at the Quinta.”
That collaborative spirit is reflected from the very beginning. “The first word you read in the book is Welcome,” Peter explained. “It’s not a conventional start, but it sets the tone. I want readers to feel like they’re joining a journey — not just reading history but experiencing it through real lives and memories.”
Peter didn’t set out to romanticise or sanitise the Quinta’s past. Instead, An Unbelievable Inheritance engages honestly with the painful and complex periods of its history — including the years it operated under Barnardos, caring for boys under court orders.
“There are some hard truths in those chapters,” Peter said. “There were mistakes. There was pain. But there were also stories of transformation and hope. I’ve tried not to gloss over anything — just to tell it like it was.”
This realism gives the book broad appeal. While many readers will pick it up because of personal or historical interest, others will connect with its themes of resilience, community, legacy, and the possibility of redemption.
Bringing this book to life wasn’t easy — and Peter is the first to admit he couldn’t have done it alone. He credits the Write My Book course at PublishU with giving him the structure and confidence he needed to get the project off the ground.
“The course was close to perfect for me,” he said. “It gave me structure, which I needed. There were goals to meet, encouragement from the group, and support from people on the same journey. Without that, I think I would have floundered.”
In a process that required gathering historical documents, conducting interviews, and editing multiple contributions, that structure proved invaluable.
Now that the book is published and available around the world, Peter finds himself sitting with both excitement and vulnerability. “I’m a bit nervous,” he admitted. “I’ve tried to do justice to so many other people’s stories — and I wonder, will they feel I’ve honoured them? Will I have let anyone down?”
But he’s also deeply encouraged by the early response. “I know people in Australia and the States who are already getting copies. That’s exciting — to think this little corner of Shropshire might have something to say to people around the world.”
For Peter, An Unbelievable Inheritance is not just a record of the past, but a way of pointing toward the future. “There are lessons in this story,” he said. “About perseverance, about the power of community, about what happens when people live with purpose. I hope readers walk away encouraged — and maybe even challenged.”
Whether or not the book becomes a bestseller, Peter has done something rare and important: he’s captured a living history that might otherwise have been lost. And he’s done it with humility, care, and a deep respect for the people whose stories make up the tapestry of the Quinta.
If you’re thinking about writing your own book, Peter’s advice is simple but profound: “You don’t have to be a literary genius. But you do need to care deeply, work hard, and be willing to listen — to others and to the story itself.”
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