HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

Origins and the Abbey

Bermondsey has had a place of worship for over 1000 years. A monastery was in existence in the 8th C and by the 11th C a church is mentioned in the Domesday Book as "a new and handsome church". This became the Priory of St Saviour in 1089, in the reign of William II, attached to the French Abbey of Cluny. In 1399 the Priory became an Abbey. The Abbey was dissolved in 1537 by Henry VIII, and the estate was acquired by Sir Thomas Pope (who founded Trinity College Oxford) who built a mansion for himself, Bermondsey House. The Abbey is still commemorated by many local street names. Click here for more details about the origins and the Abbey.

The Church

The first known record of the church of St Mary Magdalen is in about 1293, when the church appears to have been serving the workers in the Priory. Very little more is known until the late 17th C, when the church was rebuilt by a clearly wealthy congregation - the only surviving remnants of the building from before then are some of the late mediæval tower and a gothic window and arches.

The new building was completed by 1690. The North gallery was subsequently erected (in 1705?), and in 1794 the South gallery was added. Further structural work was done in 1829, including removal of the school and portico, followed by "beautification" of the interior in 1852. The last major changes were done in 1883 when the chancel was lengthened and the present stained glass window was installed. Click here for some internal photographs.

The church survived the Blitz of World War II, despite its location in a very heavily bombed area. In 1971 a fire damaged the internal area at the western end including the organ case and some of the north gallery; much of the woodwork there is modern replacement in similar style. There is work currently in hand on various parts of the church, and plans to re-decorate. Click here for fuller details about the church.

The churchyard was handed over to the Vestry of Bermondsey in 1882, and is now cared for by the London Borough of Southwark. There are a number of listed memorials and other features in the churchyard, and full details can be found on www.imagesofengland.org.uk (which requires free registration). Some details are repeated on this link to the churchyard.

Note that the church is not "St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey" - it appears Magdalen has always been spelt without the more usual(?) final "e". Unfortunately, given the workings of the internet search engines, many people would miss us unless this paragraph is included!

Our Other Churches

The parish incorporates the parishes of three other former parish churches: St Olave Tooley Street, St John Horselydown and St Luke Grange Road. Click here for more details about the location and remains of these churches.

This page updated 22 July 2008

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