St George's Churchyard, Bickley

St George's Church was built in 1863-5 by architect George Barnes in order to serve the new Bickley Park Estate being developed by George Wythes. The land was formerly part of the estate of William Dent, who had substantial land holdings in Bickley although he was a relative newcomer to the area. A former director of the East India Company, Dent became Chairman of the Mid-Kent Railway Company and gave evidence to the Select Committee on Private Bills in 1850. Unlike many of the other major landowners who opposed the railway, Dent staunchly believed that the development of the rail network out of London was inevitable and that landowners should seek to mould it to their interests. Dent was successful in this regard and in 1858 stations opened at Bromley and Southborough Road (renamed Bickley), providing fast access to London's West End. Although Dent maintained his interest in the railway he sold a substantial part of his estate to wealthy developer George Wythes, who saw the opportunity to create an upper class residential estate here. To this end the land was divided into substantial plots and Bickley Park Road was constructed linking Bromley and Chislehurst on a more direct route. Wythes donated land on the new road for St George's Church, an impressive building in Kentish ragstone; alongside the church to the east Wythes also built a substantial vicarage, later destroyed by WWII bombing but rebuilt further back from the road. A cricket ground was also provided for the new population, laid out to the west of the church on Bickley Park Road, and Bickley Park Cricket Club was founded in 1868.

The Bickley Park Estate was successful in attracting a wealthy clientele, many of whom worked in London or wished to move out to lower density housing. Today the estate retains its main features, Victorian tree planting and still has several unmade roads. Redevelopment has generally consisted of new large houses being built on the Victorian sites, but there has been some infilling in the large gardens.

Wythes remained a patron of the church, which contains the large canopied tomb-chest to the Wythes family, designed by Butterfield in 1871. Wythes was buried here on his death in 1883. The church spire was rebuilt in 1904 as it was deemed unsafe, designed by architect Ernest Newton who lived in Bickley and was active in the area, beginning his career in the office of Norman Shaw. The church suffered a bad fire in 1989 but was rebuilt in its original style. The churchyard is largely grassed and contains a number of mature trees including Cedar, yew, a large holm oak and thuja; among recent trees is a yew planted in 2000 for the millennium and a false acacia planted in 2006. Shrubbery beds are found along the Bickley Park Road boundary and the site has the remains of crenellated walls in Kentish ragstone contemporary with the church; at the entrance are remains of the original stone gate piers now with modern wrought-iron gates. There are no stone gravestones in the churchyard, but clusters of wooden crosses in a number of areas, to the west by St George's Road and either side of the porch, and a plain stone WWI War Memorial set into lawn. There are a number of paths around the church and from St George's Road and Bickley Park Road, with a few commemorative seats, and small flower beds.