History

The first St Margaret, Lee dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch was mentioned in about 1120. The early Church Tower 1275 (Grade II listed) still stands.

By 1799 it had deteriorated badly and was replaced in 1813 by Joseph Gwilt. Sadly this did not last and the current church was built in 1839/41 by James Brown of Norwich.

In 1873 a new rector Frederick Law and his wife Lady Adelaide, a daughter of the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry arrived. They were interested in the Oxford Movement, Pugin and Gothic revivalism. Together with their architect James Brooks, and the help of the best craftsmen of the day they proceeded to enlarge and embellish the Church. (Grade II* listed.)

Craftsmen of the 1870s to 1890s

They enlarged the Church by adding a Chancel, a Lady Chapel and an Organ Loft. The main decorations – stained glass, maroulflage paintings and stencilling were the work of Clayton and Bell under the direction of James Brooks.

The reredos was painted by Nathanial Westlake and surrounded in marble and alabaster work by Thomas Earp, who also decorated the Lady Chapel walls. The woodwork between the Chancel and the Lady Chapel, (including four little angels) was the work of De Wispelaere et Fils from Belgium. The tiling was by Minton and Minton Campbell. The Wrought Iron work was by Cox and Buckley and the lectern by Thomas Thomason, both students of Francis Skidmore.

Wartimes

We have a Boer War Memorial which commemorates the deaths of men associated with the Blackheath Proprietary School.

There are two WWI memorials. The High Altar was carved by Violet Pinwill from Devon whose figures of Christ and St Margaret were replicated in larger form in Truro Cathedral. She also carved a memorial for 32 local men which, at the moment, is in the Lady Chapel. We do have some information about their lives.

The North windows replace those that were lost in WWII. They were designed and installed by the studios of AK Nicholson. They record events from the history of Christianity in Britain. They include a "Magna Carta" window.

Recent restoration

There was a huge restoration the 1980s and 90s after the devastations of wartime and neglect. This included the lift and ramps and the modernisation of the crypt for modern use.

Today the Church provides an inspiring setting for Christian Worship and, with its crypt, a venue for concerts, lectures, and many outreach activities.

More information on our website

click here for more information about St Margarets Church Lee

https://www.stmargaretslee.org.uk/page/?title=Open+House+Church+Tour&pid=76

Old Churchyard

By the mid-1980s the church building was in a life-threatening state of disrepair which gave rise to a very ambitious, extensive and expensive 20-year programme of repair, conservation and adaptation. As part of these works, the surviving base of the mediaeval church tower in the old churchyard was stabilised and restored and the old churchyard developed into a public community garden and park. Both the old and new churchyard in which the current church now sits, are closed to burials and are maintained by Lewisham Council under the 1906 Open Spaces Act.

Information boards relating to the parish and churchyards are available to the public on both sides of Lee Terrace covering the old and new churchyards and are maintained by the Blackheath Society.

The Old Churchyard is the site of an ensemble of fine funerary monuments, 23 of which are listed and many are visible from the road. They date from 1727 to 1854, and some are to historically significant figures including three Astronomers Royal (Nathaniel Bliss, John Pond, Edmund Halley), as well as Naval Captains and craftsmen working at Deptford Dockyards, and Sir Samuel Fludyer, eminent merchant and banker, MP and Lord Mayor of London.

Also of significance in the setting of the tombs are:
• The remains of the west tower of the former medieval Church of St Margaret, listed at grade II. It was the first of three churches dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch, and was probably built around 1080, although it was not mentioned in contemporary chronicles until 1275. The rest of the church was demolished in 1813. The outer walls of the nave and chancel have been marked in the grass by single stones.
• The current Church of St Margaret, which stands to the south side of Lee Terrace and is listed at Grade II*. It dates from 1839-41 by John Brown of Norwich, and replaces a church on the same site by Joseph Gwilt, 1813-14, which collapsed. The church was restored and enlarged in 1876 by James Brooks.