St Margaret's, Lee

St Margaret of Antioch
St Margaret of Antioch, Lee Green, south east London
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.stmargaretslee.org.uk
History
Dedication	St Margaret of Antioch
Administration
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Southwark
Parish	St Margaret of Antioch, Lee
Clergy
Rector	Rev Canon Dr Alan Race

St Margaret's Church, Lee is a Church of England parish church in Lee, London. It was built between 1839 and 1841 in a simple early Victorian style (to a design by Norwich architect John Brown), replacing the older mediaeval church nearby dating to around 1120. It is Anglican and is located on the south side of Lee Terrace/Belmont Hill, in Lee Green, south-east London.

Extensive and lavish interior decoration was carried out between 1875 and 1900.

By 1980 it had fallen into dilapidation and an extensive 20-year restoration programme was carried out. On completion of the restoration, the church is one of the best preserved examples of a decorated gothic revivalist interior in London.

Remains of the tower of the former Church Of St. Margaret in the Old Churchyard.

Between 1813-1830 there had been an attempt to rebuild the mediaeval church, involving the architect Joseph Gwilt. This failed when it became clear that the foundations of the old church were incapable of supporting a new building. The ruins of the original building are in the mediaeval churchyard on the north side of Lee Terrace. The tomb of Edmond Halley (1656–1742), from 1720 England's second Astronomer Royal and the discoverer of Halley's Comet is in the churchyard, one of three Astronomers Royal buried at St Margaret's (Nathaniel Bliss and John Pond are the others). Also notable the tomb of Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet and his family.

External links

• The Church's Parish Website
• Current Church
• Parish History
• Craftsmen and Women
• Old Church Yard
• Gallery of interior features