5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
St Mary’s Church and Tower, Lambeth
Church
Place photograph
7.2
Wildland
Check current visitor information
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
7.2A church site recorded in 1086, now preserved as the Garden Museum. Its 14th-century tower survived while much of the church was rebuilt in the Victorian era.
This is a layered piece of Lambeth history rather than a church preserved unchanged: a medieval tower, notable memorials and the story of a threatened building rescued for a museum devoted to garden history make it an unusually characterful London visit.
Atmospheric · Historic
Find your way
Open map5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
Explore the Garden Museum’s historic church setting and look for the surviving medieval tower, the Tradescant family tomb and the distinctive memorials described by the museum. Check current admission and whether tower access is available before planning a visit.
Things to do
See the surviving medieval tower
The Garden Museum dates the tower to the 14th century and says it is the oldest surviving structure in the borough of Lambeth. Confirm whether tower access is available during your visit.
Find the Tradescant family tomb
The museum identifies the tomb in the courtyard garden as a centrepiece reflecting John Tradescant’s life and work.
Look for the historic wall monuments
The museum highlights Hugh Peyntwyn’s chantry tomb, dated to 1504, and the monument to John Mompesson, dated to 1524. It describes the pair as unusual for sharing a particular design associated with royal workshops.
Notice the surviving nave corbels
The museum identifies four surviving corbels among the original eight in the nave ceiling, combining medieval and Victorian work.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Check current visitor information
A short visit to the old church
- 01
Check the Garden Museum’s current opening and admission information before travelling.
- 02
Explore the historic church setting and look for the medieval tower and the memorials highlighted by the museum.
- 03
Visit the courtyard garden and see the Tradescant family tomb, described by the museum as its centrepiece.
Verified history
The Garden Museum’s account says a wooden church was built on this site in 1062 and that the church is recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086. A stone rebuilding followed later in the 11th century. The present tower dates to a 14th-century rebuilding; the museum says it was repaired in 1834–35 and is the oldest surviving structure in Lambeth. John Tradescant the Elder was buried in the churchyard in 1638, and the museum also records the burial there of Admiral William Bligh in 1817. The church’s nave and aisles were substantially rebuilt in 1851–52. Rosemary and John Nicholson founded the Garden Museum in 1977 to rescue the abandoned church, which was due for demolition.
Hidden details
Two notable early wall monuments — Look for the memorials to Hugh Peyntwyn and John Mompesson. The Garden Museum describes them as two examples of a design associated with royal workshops, a rare pairing for one church.
Medieval and Victorian work in the nave ceiling — The museum points out four surviving corbels from a set of eight, with medieval and Victorian elements together.
When to go
· Check current museum opening information.
The supplied sources do not identify a best season. Plan around the Garden Museum’s current opening and access arrangements.
Check the forecast and current visitor information; no weather-specific guidance is established by the supplied sources.
What to look for
Look for the 14th-century tower, the Tradescant family tomb in the courtyard garden, the chantry tomb of Hugh Peyntwyn (d.1504), and the four surviving nave ceiling corbels described by the Garden Museum.
The story
Medieval church; garden history; John Tradescant and family; Victorian reconstruction
Best time to go
Any season; check current museum opening and access before travelling.
Check the Garden Museum’s current opening information before setting out; no particular season or time of day is established by the supplied sources.
How long to spend
Check current visitor information
Perfect for
History lovers · Garden lovers · Architecture lovers
Before you go
Practical information
Opening & access
The medieval church is now home to the Garden Museum. Check the museum’s current visitor information for admission, opening and tower access before visiting.
Check before visiting
Parking
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
Check current accessibility information with the Garden Museum before visiting.
Check before visiting
Cost
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around St Mary’s Church and Tower, Lambeth
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
