St George's Church, Beckenham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George, Beckenham
Beckenham Parish Church
West face of St George's Church, Beckenham
51°24′33″N 0°01′29″W / 51.4092°N 0.0247°W / 51.4092; -0.0247
Location	High Street, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 1AX
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Affirming Catholic
Architecture
Architect(s)	W. Gibbs Bartleet
Style	Victorian
Years built	12th century (rebuilt 1885-1887)
Administration
Parish	Beckenham
Deanery	Beckenham
Archdeaconry	Bromley and Bexley
Diocese	Rochester

St George's Church, Beckenham is a historic Church of England church located in Beckenham, which is now part of Greater London. Before 1965, Beckenham was in Kent. This church is very special because it is a "Grade II* listed building." This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

St George's Church is the main church in Beckenham and sits right in the town centre. Even though it was first built a long time ago in the Middle Ages, most of what you see today has been rebuilt. It has a unique wooden gate called a lychgate that dates back to the 13th century. People say it's the oldest lychgate in all of England!

A Look Back: The History of St George's Church

The first church on this spot was built in the 12th century. It was a simple medieval church for many years. However, between 1885 and 1887, it was almost completely rebuilt. A local architect named W. Gibbs Bartleet designed the new church to be a grand "town church." He used strong stone called ragstone.

The tall, pointed tower on the southwest side of the church is a famous landmark on the High Street. It was finished a bit later, between 1902 and 1903.

During the Second World War, the church was damaged by two German V-1 flying bombs. These were early types of missiles. The bombs hit on July 2 and July 27, 1944. After the war, new and colourful stained glass windows were added. These beautiful windows were made by an artist named Thomas Freeth between 1963 and 1966.

Exploring the Church Building

The church's design is in a style called "Decorated Gothic." This style was popular in the early 14th century. The most noticeable part of the church is its tall tower. It has four main sections and strong supports on the corners. At the very top, it has a fancy edge with small, pointed towers called pinnacles.

The east end of the south face of the church

At the front of the church, there's a special entrance area called a narthex. The main part of the church, called the nave, has a very large window at its west end. This window is filled with beautiful, swirling patterns made of stone. Above the nave, there are rows of smaller windows that let in light. The side sections, called aisles, also have windows with different designs.

The church has two side sections called transepts, each with a large window. At the very front, where the altar is, is the chancel. The roof inside the church is also interesting. The nave has a special type of roof called a Hammerbeam roof, and the chancel roof looks like the bottom of a boat.

Old and New Features Inside

One of the oldest things you can see inside is a stone baptismal font. It's where babies are baptised. This font is from the 12th or 13th century and was in the original church. It was taken out for a while but brought back in 1876. Today, the church uses a different, more modern font from the Victorian era.

You can still see many of the original Victorian wooden pews (benches) and stalls. The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is shaped like a polygon and stands on a stone base from 1906.

Many of the stained glass windows are from the Victorian period, especially the large window at the west end. However, many windows were damaged during World War II. After the war, Thomas Freeth, an art teacher from Beckenham Art School, created many new stained glass designs. His work fills the windows around the altar and many other windows throughout the church.

The church also has many old monuments and memorials. These were moved from the old church to the new one. Famous sculptors like John Flaxman and Sir Frances Chantrey created some of these. You can also find the memorial for William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland, inside the church. He is buried in the churchyard, which has many interesting gravestones from the 1700s.

Notable People Who Served Here

Many interesting people have served as clergy (church leaders) at St George's Church over the years. Here are a few:

• John Newey: He was a curate (a type of assistant priest) from 1692 to 1693. He later became the Dean of Chichester.
• Peter Bishop: He was a curate from 1971 to 1975. He later became the Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force.
• Anne Dyer: She was a non-stipendiary minister (a priest who is not paid by the church) from 1988 to 1989. She later became the Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham.
• David Silk: He was the Rector (the main priest) from 1975 to 1980. He later became an Anglican Bishop and then a Roman Catholic priest.

Gallery

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  The historic lychgate

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  The church sign

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  A view of the churchyard

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  Another view of the peaceful churchyard

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  The church porch

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  Close-up of the tower details

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  Inside, looking towards the chancel

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  The pulpit and the church organ

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  The Royal Coat of Arms inside the church

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  The beautiful rose window at the west end

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  Stained glass windows near the east end