What an awesome church. such a welcoming feel and that mural! I haven't seen anything as wonderful…read moreand awe inspiring in any other church and I have been to so many. The churchyard is kept wild and wonderful too. look for the fab witches marks. The stained glass is perfection. I wish I lived closer.

There's not much I can add to Seaxwyn's review, but this is a lovely little church in a beautiful…read morelocation. Although the structure is heavily Victorianised, there are plenty of historical furnishings to make a visit worthwhile.

St John's lies between Wimbledon and Raynes Park, just below the Ridgeway, and is a good example of…read morea late Victorian neo-Gothic church. The church was built to service the growing commuter population brought to Wimbledon by the London and South-Western Railway. A plot of land was bought in 1867, but a lack of funds meant that the first building was a temporary prefabricated 'iron church'. Made of corrugated iron, it came, according to the church's website, complete with altar and font, illuminated texts all over the windows and two seraphs to each entrance. The present church was begun in 1873 to designs by Thomas Jackson (1835-1924) and consecrated in 1875. Jackson delivered a classic red-brick neo-Gothic church, with a nave, chancel and a large north aisle. From the outside, it is not especially noteworthy, save for the large east window and an impressive north porch, which has Decorated Gothic detailing. The interior space is dominated by the tall single arcade between the nave and north aisle, but the main interest is provided by the fittings and furnishings: there is some lovely stained glass, including a window from the William Morris factory (the figure of Martha is by Edward Burne-Jones, that of Christ by Henry Dearle); a delicate chancel screen; and a reredos in the Lady Chapel (north aisle) by Martin Travers. The organ, installed in 1904 by Hill, Morgan and Beard, is a particularly fine example. The church is the centre of a busy parish life and is a very popular venue for music, thanks to an excellent acoustic.

This large village church stands near the centre of the…read morepicturesque village of Shere, nestled in a valley close to the ridge of the North Downs. The nave and lower stages of the tower are Norman, built around 1150-90, to which a large south aisle was added in the 13th century. The church was lengthened in the early 14th century, from which period the chancel also dates. The fine north transept window of Curvilinear tracy is 15th century, and the churchyard lych gate is by Lutyens. The outside is dominated by the robust tower, which carries an equally robust broach spire. The south side has a fine Norman door, but the main entrance today is through the west entrance, which has a fine (and heavy) 17th century panelled door, and leads under an 18th century west gallery. Inside, the elegant arcade of octagonal piers separates the nave from the south aisle that is so large is feels like a double nave. The arches through to the chancel are early 14th century replacements, but there is a fine 13th century arch between the south aisle and south chapel with detached marble shafts. The fixtures and fittings are of particular interest. Several windows have fragments of mediaeval glass, and the font of Purbeck marble, with a central stem and four corner shafts, dating to around 1170. The church has some notable brasses: the oldest, dated 1417, is of the rector, Robert Scarlyff, wearing his vestments; on the floor is a large memorial to John Touchet, Lord Audley, (1423-1490). He lies resplendent in full plate armour. Close by is a brass to John Redford (d. 1516) and his wife, with his six children in mourning. On the wall of Lady Chapel is a small brass of a lady, dated 1520. However, of more curious interest is the squint and quatrefoil window on the north wall of the chancel, originally openings to the cell of an anchorite, Christine Carpenter. Anchorites were hermits, often devout teenage girls, walled up (until death) in cells attached to churches. They prayed and gave advice and in return were given food and provided with the sacraments. Christine was interred in 1329, but seems to have left and was ordered to return on 'pain of death' in 1332.

this is a very old church and quite picturesque. It is famous for having an anchorite during the…read more14th century, Christine Carpenter, about whom several movies have been made. The church has also been used in filming many movies so it may seem familiar right away.

I'm very lucky because I get to see this amazing building every day, Im not a part of the church,…read morebut I can appreciate the beauty of the building, but for thise who are, this beautiful Victorian Gothic Anglican church that was built in 1864, is a part of the Diocese of London. They have a service every Sunday at 10:00 am. Everyone is welcome, even if you are not religious but you have the spirit for singing. Or just to see it up close, this church is beautiful and worth a look.

Quaint little church I came while walking to breakfast. Went in to pray and look around…read more Always nice to be welcome into the Lord's House.

St Stephen's is a lovely church only a few minutes' walk from the bustle of Victoria Street, with…read morean active and diverse congregation. Built in 1847-49 by Benjamin Ferrey, a pupil of Pugin, it is an accomplished example of Victorian Neo-Gothic in the 13th century Decorated style. The ragstone exterior encloses a cool, largely whitewashed interior. There is an aisled nave of 5 bays, and a long chancel. A small south chapel, dedicated in 1904, was erected in memory of Angela Tennant, daughter of the first Vicar. This has an elaborate decorated scheme of mosaics in the vaguely pre-Raphaelite style. Other elements of interest include a stained glass window of the Good Shepherd by Morris & Co, designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1890), and an original window of 1850 by Wailes in the south aisle. The spire was damaged by lightning and again during World War II, and shortened in the 1960s because of safety concerns. It was restored to its original height by the addition of a lightweight extension in 1994. The website lists the range of daily services and other activities at this busy church.

After the Romanesque delights of the parish church, the…read moreCemetery Chapel provides a rich contrast. It was donated by the Arts and Crafts luminary George Frederic Watts and his wife Mary. She assembled the designs for the chapel, but much of the decorative scheme of deeply coloured glazed tiles and hand-painted gesso, were made by the villagers under her instruction. It was completed in 1904. The exterior is rich enough, with elaborate terracotta friezes depicting Hope, Truth, Love and Light, and a round-headed doorway with three orders of Celtic style decoration. But the interior takes the breath away. Once your eyes become accustomed to the gloom, the richness of the decoration reveals itself: Celtic and religious symbolism, in flowing Art Nouveau style, with deep reds, blues and greens highlighted in gold. Every square inch of the interior is heavily moulded and painted a true labour of love and dedication. The sanctuary painting by George Frederic Watts (1904) is entitled The All Pervading. The chapel is used only for funeral services, but is open daily for visitors.

We were given wrong information at the Watts Gallery that the chapel closes at 5pm. We drove past…read moreabout 5.30 and it was still open. It is set back within the site of a well tended cemetery, so you may not see much of it from the road. We parked up and walked in. The cemetery is worth a walk round in its own right. However, the Chapel is lovely indeed-a perfect reproduction of a Renaissance chapel. The exterior is covered with wonderful carvings (see photos) and the interior is a riot of thickly painted murals which cover the walls and celing. Inside it is cool and a wonderful place for quiet reflection. If you are going to the Watts Gallery I recommend seeing this at the same time.

The delightful village of Balcombe is situated half way between Haywards Heath and Crawley, in the…read moreheavily wooded hills that define this northern part of West Sussex. Its church is usually open for visitors, and is well worth a look. There has been a church here since 1090, although the earliest part of the present building dates back to the late 13th or early 14th century, and consisted of a small nave and chancel. In the 15th century a fine square tower was erected, topped by a wooden shingled spire, in the Sussex style. A painting dated 1805 shows the small church with a large, two-storey porch. However, during the 19th century the village grew significantly in size, aided by the coming of the London to Brighton railway, which passes just to the west of the village. This led to two thoroughly Victorian rebuildings: one in 1847 which added a new nave to the north of the existing one, and another in 1872 in which a new chancel and north aisle were erected beyond. The extensions more than trebled the size of the church, relegating the former nave and chancel to the South Aisle and Lady Chapel. Unfortunately, as was often the case, the Victorians did away with the mediaeval porch, font and pulpit at the same time, resulting in great damage to the historic integrity of the church. However, the 15th century tower has survived intact, and its peal of eight bells includes three dating back to 1614. The church interior is still quite attractive, and features some unusual gated pews, as well as modern embroidery and a handsome brass eagle lectern. The stained glass is all Victorian, the most impressive of which is the great west window, which commemorates George Meek, the High Sheriff of Sussex, and his wife, Fanny Amilia. He caught a fever at the Lewes Assizes and died in May 1874 and, sadly, Fanny died of the same fever a week later. Another point of interest is the four heads (two Kings and Queens) beneath the chancel arch. It is not clear if these are Victorian or were rescued from the mediaeval fabric. The churchyard contains more of interest: it contains 28 chest tombs, dating from the 17th century onwards, as well as a number of 'headboard' memorials, stone versions of the Sussex tradition of erecting headstones in the shape of (or sometimes taken from) the headboards of the deceased person's bed. On my visit, there were drifts of bluebells in the far corners of the graveyard also a feature of the woods around the area. On the way out can be seen the new lych-gate. As part of the Millennium celebrations, English Heritage sponsored a competition to donate a new lych-gate to the most deserving church. Balcombe won the competition and, using oak donated by the adjacent Balcombe Estate, the present gate was completed in 2002. It makes for an imposing entrance.

Bletchingly is a small village on the A25 with an impressively large church, with an unusually rich…read morecollection of furnishings. History Bletchingley was one of the original 'Rotten Boroughs', and a prominent manor that belonged at various times to the de Clares and later the family of Lord Howard of Effingham, commander of the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada, who was married in Bletchingley in 1539. The present church is the result of almost six centuries of continuous building; the east wall of the chancel and the robust west tower with its small round-headed windows are Norman, erected around 1090 and heightened around 1160, with a tower arch added around 1175; the south aisle was added in the 13th century, along with the Lady Chapel (now St Catherine's chapel); a north transept, known as the Ham Chapel, was added in the 14th century; the 15th added the huge porch, rood stair, and new windows in St Catherine's Chapel. Somewhat later, the Victorians added a north aisle and rebuilt the East wall of the chancel, and added the present reredos, by G E Street. The church From the village, the robust tower, along with the south porch and battlemented south aisle lend the church the appearance of a stately home. Inside, the interior is spacious and the variety of internal detail is immediately apparent: tombs, mediaeval corbels, a rood stair, and a wide variety of furnishings compete with each other for attention. Of these, pride of place goes to the huge Clayton memorial, which completely dominates St Catherine's Chapel. Sir Robert Clayton (1629-1707) and his wife. Clayton was a banker, MP and one-time Lord Mayor of London, and the confident and sumptuous baroque memorial has life-size statues of him and his wife in their finery (Clayton himself with gilded badges and chains of office) under a huge pediment supported on Corinthian columns. More poignantly, it also includes a figure of their only child, who died in infancy. A table tomb between the chapel and chancel is that of Sir Thomas Carwarden (d. 1559), Master of revels to Henry VIII, Edward IV and Queen Mary. A number of unnamed brasses are contained in the Ham Chapel, although the most interesting and impressive is that of Thomas Warde (d. 1541) and his wife, in the floor of the tower. The style suggests the figures may have been pirated from an earlier brass. On the floor of the north side of the altar is brass which may represent Hugh Hextall (d. 1476), the Rector who oversaw the 15th century works. Other items of interest include the pulpit from 1630, the font from 1450, and the south aisle corbels, two of which depicts green men. The window at the west end of the south aisle is by Kemp, with the other two by Comper in matching style.