Manor Road, Bexley, DA5 3LX, United Kingdom
St Mary the Virgin, Bexley
Church
Place photograph
4.5
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
4.5A place of worship for more than nine centuries, St Mary’s has changed with Bexley around it: from a church in a farming community to a historic building now surrounded by suburban south-east London.
St Mary’s earns its place for the layers of history still legible in the building: a north aisle added in the 14th century, a screen from about 1500, and a Victorian remodelling that reshaped its interior. The church’s long story is unusually well documented by the parish itself.
Atmospheric · Ancient-feeling
Find your way
Open mapManor Road, Bexley, DA5 3LX, United Kingdom
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The experience
A short, history-led visit centred on the church’s changing architecture and the memorials described by the parish. Confirm access before setting out.
Things to do
Trace the church’s architectural changes
Use the parish history as a guide to the church’s successive phases, including the 14th-century north aisle, the screen installed around 1500 and the 1883 reordering. Access to the interior is not confirmed, so check before visiting.
Around 30–60 minutes, if access is available
Look for historic memorials
The parish history records memorials from the 17th to 19th centuries inside the church and in the churchyard. Check which areas are currently accessible.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Around 30–60 minutes, if access is available
A short architectural history visit
- 01
Check with the church for current visitor access before travelling.
- 02
Explore the church interior and compare its medieval elements with the changes described in the parish history.
- 03
Look for the north aisle, the screen dating to about 1500, and the Victorian remodelling details, where visible.
Verified history
The parish church has been a continuous place of Christian worship for more than 900 years. The parish history says it probably succeeded an earlier Saxon church on the site and notes a reference to a church in Bexley in the Domesday Survey of 1086. The building began as a simple tower, nave and chancel; a north aisle was added in the 14th century. A screen was installed around 1500, later removed as church fashions changed. In 1883, a major reordering introduced stained-glass windows and flint cladding. The parish history also records memorials from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Hidden details
A church remembered in the Domesday Survey — The parish history identifies a 1086 Domesday Survey reference to a church in Bexley and says the present church probably succeeded an earlier Saxon church on the same site.
A building once used for village market days — The parish history says the church was used for activities including market days when it stood at the centre of village life. This is a historical detail, not a claim about present-day use.
When to go
· Check opening arrangements with the church before visiting; no preferred time is verified.
The supplied evidence gives no seasonal visitor information. A visit depends on confirmed access rather than season.
No weather-specific visitor information is available. Check access before travelling.
What to look for
- 01
The 14th-century north aisle
- 02
the screen installed around 1500
- 03
the Victorian stained-glass windows and flint cladding added during the 1883 remodelling
- 04
and the 17th- to 19th-century memorials described by the parish. Their present condition and access should be checked on site.
The story
Church history, medieval architecture, Victorian church restoration
Best time to go
Year-round, subject to confirmed opening and access.
Visit only after checking the church’s current opening arrangements. Allow time to look closely at the building and its documented interior changes.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers · Architecture enthusiasts
Before you go
Address
Phone
Website
Listed hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 10-11:30am
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: Closed
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: 10-11:30am
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
The church’s visitor access and opening arrangements are not confirmed here. Check with the church before visiting; do not assume it is open outside services or events. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
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Parking
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Toilets
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Food & drink
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Dogs
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Accessibility
The source row reports a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Internal accessibility and other facilities are not confirmed; check with the church before visiting.
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Cost
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Place photographsKeep exploring
Around St Mary the Virgin, Bexley
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
