I am back on Shooters Hill in the company of Darrel Spurgeon's guide book.*
It is a book I keep returning to because it contains some fascinating history of Eltham and the surrounding areas and a set of first class walks.
So today I have lifted a little bit more of his walk along Shooters Hill and in particular Christ Church which is number two on the map and can be found by walking east up past the old police station as far as Red Lion Lane.
The church is opposte.
“Christ Church. A small Victorian Gothic church of 1856, the east end added in 1869.
The exterior in unexceptional, but the interior is interesting with the atmosphere of a village church. Note the fine east end and stained glass window of 1869 and a series of unusual roofshields.
In 1900 Temple Moore added a coloured chancel screen, two large figures of winged angels in the chancel and decorated cornices.
In the churchyard is a graceful Great War Memorial cross of granite and in front of this the Ypres milestone, an 18th century milestone converted to a First World War memorial. It reads: ‘130 miles to Ypres, in defending the salient our casualties were 90,000 killed, 70,500 missing, and 410,000 wounded.’
Note the modern milestone on the opposite side of the road, with replicas of 19th century iron plates reading ‘8 miles to London Bridge and 7 miles to Dartford’, which used to be on the Ypres milestone.
To the east is Christ Church School. The small central building is the old village school of 1857; the extension on either side is post war.”
*Discover Eltham, Darrell Spurgeon, 2000
Pictures; map and photograph courtesy of Darrell Spurgeon
So today I have lifted a little bit more of his walk along Shooters Hill and in particular Christ Church which is number two on the map and can be found by walking east up past the old police station as far as Red Lion Lane.
The church is opposte.
“Christ Church. A small Victorian Gothic church of 1856, the east end added in 1869.
The exterior in unexceptional, but the interior is interesting with the atmosphere of a village church. Note the fine east end and stained glass window of 1869 and a series of unusual roofshields.
In the churchyard is a graceful Great War Memorial cross of granite and in front of this the Ypres milestone, an 18th century milestone converted to a First World War memorial. It reads: ‘130 miles to Ypres, in defending the salient our casualties were 90,000 killed, 70,500 missing, and 410,000 wounded.’
Note the modern milestone on the opposite side of the road, with replicas of 19th century iron plates reading ‘8 miles to London Bridge and 7 miles to Dartford’, which used to be on the Ypres milestone.
To the east is Christ Church School. The small central building is the old village school of 1857; the extension on either side is post war.”
*Discover Eltham, Darrell Spurgeon, 2000
Pictures; map and photograph courtesy of Darrell Spurgeon
Thank you Andrew. I would like to find out more about this church and see if my great grandfather is buried there. I only found out about my great grandmother being buried there 4 years ago when I inherited lots of papers, birth marriage certificates etc, from my mum.
ReplyDeleteWhen our family Holmes lived in Plumstead 1950 to78a Spurgeon Family lived at the top of our road..Macoma..they were involved in the Baptist Church on Griffin Hill Rd ...I wonder if Darrel is related!
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