St Mary the Virgin, Bromley

St Mary the Virgin, Hayes, Bromley
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Administration
Parish	Old Hayes
Diocese	Rochester
Clergy
Rector	Revd. Napoleon John
Curate(s)	Revd. Lynn Hallam

St Mary the Virgin is a Gothic church in South London, built in the 12th century but with notable alterations in the mid-Victorian period to the designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott and his son John Oldrid Scott. It is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.

Location

The Church is located in what is known as ‘Old Hayes’, a suburb of Bromley. The arrival of the railway from Charing Cross in the 1860s divided the village in two, the church being where historically the Village was first founded. It is on the A21, an old coaching route from London to Hastings.

History

The church was established more than eight hundred years ago and underwent considerable alterations in the Victorian era. The north aisle was added in 1856 and the tower modified in 1861, with the south aisle and Organ trancept following in 1879. The expansions were overseen and carried out by George Gilbert Scott and his son John Oldrid Scott and remained faithful to the barn-style architecture of the medieval period.^[1] Arches from the 13th-century are still found along the north and south walls.^[2] It was during this time much of the medieval furnishings were removed, however the 15th century timber roof beams and a small lancet window in the west end of the nave survived. In 2005 a meeting room was erected to the rear of the Church and is used by many clubs and societies in the locality.

St Mary’s was the local Parish church for two British Prime Ministers, William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger, the latter of whom was christened here and are remembered by a wall memorial funded by Parliament. They lived opposite the church in an a country house called Hayes Place, which was also the home of Everard Hambro. Sir Vicary Gibbs was also a Parishioner and is buried in the Churchyard: within the church is a monument detailing his life. The churchyard is also the final resting place of John Panis of the Native American tribe Panis, being brought over here as a slave, he died in 1763.^[3]

References

External links

• Official site

London Borough of Bromley Districts Anerley Aperfield Beckenham Berry's Green Bickley Biggin Hill Bromley Bromley Common Broom Hill Chelsfield Chislehurst Crystal Palace Cudham Downe Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Farnborough Foxbury Goddington Green Street Green Hayes Hazelwood Hockenden Horns Green Keston Leaves Green Locksbottom Longlands Luxted Mottingham New Beckenham Orpington Park Langley Penge Petts Wood Plaistow Poverest Pratt's Bottom Ruxley St Mary Cray St Paul Cray Shortlands Single Street Southborough South Street Sundridge Sydenham Upper Norwood West Wickham Widmore Attractions Bromley Museum Chislehurst Caves Churchill Theatre Crofton Roman Villa Crystal Palace Museum Down House Wickham Theatre Parks and open spaces Betts Park Bromley Wood Chislehurst Common Covet Wood Crystal Palace Park Cuckoo Wood Cudham Frith Darrick Wood Elmstead Wood Hayes Common High Elms Country Park Jubilee Country Park Kelsey Park Norman Park Poverest Recreation Ground Scadbury Park Sundridge Park Places of worship St George's Church, Beckenham St John the Evangelist, Penge St Mary's Church, Downe St Mary the Virgin, Hayes St Peter and St Paul's Church, Bromley Constituencies Beckenham Bromley and Chislehurst Lewisham West and Penge Orpington Rail stations and tram stops Anerley Avenue Road Beckhenham Road Beckenham Junction Bickley Birkbeck Bromley North Bromley South Chelsfield Chislehurst Clock House Crystal Palace Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Woods Hayes Kent House Knockholt Lower Sydenham New Beckenham Orpington Penge East Penge West Petts Wood Ravensbourne St Mary Cray Shortlands Sundridge Park West Wickham Other topics Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools