West Wickham: St John
Croydon Addington Deanery
Parish Contacts
The Revd Jonathan Ward (Rector)
30 Coney Hill Road
West Wickham
Kent BR4 9BX
Tel: 020 8462 8622
E-mail: jjhward75@gmail.com
Parish website: www.stjohnsww.com
Sunday Services
Details of all Sunday and weekday services and activities may be obtained from the parish contacts
Information
Patron: Bishop of Southwark
Urban Priority Area: No
Deanery: Croydon Addington
Archdeaconry: Croydon
Episcopal Area: Croydon
Diocesan Record Office: Bromley Local Studies Library and Archives
Details of Church
Rebuilt: Late 15th century
Restored:
1844 - architect: John Whichcord snr.
Re-ordered:
1889 - architect: John Dando Sedding
Re-ordered:
1991 - architects: Scarlett, Burkett & Griffiths
Listed: grade 2*
Consists of a chancel, nave with a small baptistry at its west end, a small western recess above which is a gallery, a north aisle and a chapel. The 15th century rood screen was re-positioned in 1991 to enclose the chapel. The exterior is of stone and knapped flint with a square tower forming a porch to the main entrance to the building. There is a peal of six bells whose dates range from the 17th century to the 20th century. The bell chamber is accessed by an external flight of stairs which also provides entrance to the gallery.
In 1469 Henry Heydon, a lawyer from Norfolk, bought the manor of West Wickham and with it this church. He then proceeded to rebuild both. The surviving painted glass windows in the chapel, the work of Anglo-Flemish artists, depict saints whose names were bestowed on the Heydon children - Anne, Dorothy, Catherine and Christopher. Henry himself is depicted in the east window of the chapel as a skeleton. Elsewhere in the church are windows by Charles Kempe, Herbert Bryans and Powell of Whitefriars.