Description
A church has existed here for centuries, but the date of its dedication to St Giles the Abbot is unknown although in 1292 the village of Farnborough was granted licence by the King to hold a weekly market and an annual fair on the Feast of St Giles. The churchyard may have been in use as a burial ground from as early as 1000 AD and it has been extended a number of times over the years as the need for more burial space arose. There are interesting tombstones in the churchyard, the oldest dating from 1725. the Lubbock Cross commemorates the Lubbock family who lived at High Elms. The Garden of Remembrance was established in 1956.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Farnborough Parish Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Church Road, Farnborough, Orpington |
| Postcode | BR6 7DB |
| What3Words | ///tour.prop.dance |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Research Updated | 19 July 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
A church existed here prior to 1070, possibly a wooden building, although it is not recorded in the Domesday Survey. The church of St Giles the Abbot was rebuilt in 1641 following a storm on 12 December 1639 when the roof was lost, and the nave remains from that date; the north projection dates from the earlier building. The west tower was built in 1838, and the chancel in 1886. The St Giles Fair has been held in Farnborough on the first Saturday in September, usually in Church Fields, for many generations.
The original churchyard of 0.35 acres surrounded the church and was probably in use as the parish burial ground by 1000 AD. Until the early C18th, there were no tombstones erected and the ground was constantly re-used for burial, leading to a rise in the ground level visible distinct from the paths. From the 1700s tombstones began to be used to mark graves, and by 1854 this had made re-use of the ground impossible so 0.4 acres of additional land was purchased. This first extension was on the north and west sides of the original plot, and the churchyard was subsequently extended in 1885, 1935 and 1995. It remains part of the Rector's Freehold, the incumbent Rector receiving a fee for each burial but is not permitted to sell any part of the churchyard. An old yew tree planted in 1643 marks the north-west corner of the original churchyard, which was at that time entered by a church gate located by the Skeggs Tomb, a table tomb now without its railings. The entrance is now via the lych-gate erected in 1902 as a memorial to Rachel Fox. A number of railed table tombs are located near the church door and the oldest tombstone dates from 1725. Other interesting memorials include the Wynne Stone near the Choir Vestry, those to the south of the Clergy Vestry, behind the Rance Family table tomb. In the C19th extension is the grave of Gipsy Lee, the last Gipsy Queen in the area who lived in Willow Walk in her later years. The March memorial has a bronze angel by this talented local family who supplied the bronze figures for the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa.
The Garden of Remembrance was established in 1956 for the burial of ashes, and near here is the Lubbock Cross, which has interesting carvings that include Bronze Age axes, the Avebury Stone Circle and a bee skep, commemorating the Lubbock family who owned much of this area and lived at High Elms, now High Elms Country Park (q.v.). A particularly prominent member of the family was Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913), like his father a banker, who was Liberal MP for Maidstone and as such was influential in the Education Act of 1870, the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 and the Ancient Monuments Act of 1882. Among his many scientific interests were entomology, botany, biology and archaeology, which he helped establish as a scientific discipline, and, a close friend of Charles Darwin, he contributed to the debate around evolutionary theory. He became the first Lord Avebury in 1890, the title reflecting his purchase in 1871 of part of the Avebury estate in order to safeguard the ancient Stone Circle.
The War Memorial Cross was erected in 1922, designed by architect Fred Harrild, whose parents are buried here. A new addition to the churchyard is a Memorial Wall for future Memorial Plaques, which will in time enclose the eastern end of the churchyard.
The original churchyard of 0.35 acres surrounded the church and was probably in use as the parish burial ground by 1000 AD. Until the early C18th, there were no tombstones erected and the ground was constantly re-used for burial, leading to a rise in the ground level visible distinct from the paths. From the 1700s tombstones began to be used to mark graves, and by 1854 this had made re-use of the ground impossible so 0.4 acres of additional land was purchased. This first extension was on the north and west sides of the original plot, and the churchyard was subsequently extended in 1885, 1935 and 1995. It remains part of the Rector's Freehold, the incumbent Rector receiving a fee for each burial but is not permitted to sell any part of the churchyard. An old yew tree planted in 1643 marks the north-west corner of the original churchyard, which was at that time entered by a church gate located by the Skeggs Tomb, a table tomb now without its railings. The entrance is now via the lych-gate erected in 1902 as a memorial to Rachel Fox. A number of railed table tombs are located near the church door and the oldest tombstone dates from 1725. Other interesting memorials include the Wynne Stone near the Choir Vestry, those to the south of the Clergy Vestry, behind the Rance Family table tomb. In the C19th extension is the grave of Gipsy Lee, the last Gipsy Queen in the area who lived in Willow Walk in her later years. The March memorial has a bronze angel by this talented local family who supplied the bronze figures for the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa.
The Garden of Remembrance was established in 1956 for the burial of ashes, and near here is the Lubbock Cross, which has interesting carvings that include Bronze Age axes, the Avebury Stone Circle and a bee skep, commemorating the Lubbock family who owned much of this area and lived at High Elms, now High Elms Country Park (q.v.). A particularly prominent member of the family was Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913), like his father a banker, who was Liberal MP for Maidstone and as such was influential in the Education Act of 1870, the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 and the Ancient Monuments Act of 1882. Among his many scientific interests were entomology, botany, biology and archaeology, which he helped establish as a scientific discipline, and, a close friend of Charles Darwin, he contributed to the debate around evolutionary theory. He became the first Lord Avebury in 1890, the title reflecting his purchase in 1871 of part of the Avebury estate in order to safeguard the ancient Stone Circle.
The War Memorial Cross was erected in 1922, designed by architect Fred Harrild, whose parents are buried here. A new addition to the churchyard is a Memorial Wall for future Memorial Plaques, which will in time enclose the eastern end of the churchyard.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ443641 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Diocese of Rochester, Orpington Deanery |
| Site Management | Friends of St Giles |
| Dates | C11th; 1854/1885, 1935, 1995 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: St Giles the Abbot Church |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Bromley |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Tree Preservation Order | To be checked |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes (Burial Ground) |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Significance |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
From early days the land changed hands repeatedly until the early C19th when High Elms became the country estate of the Lubbock family. The 3rd Baronet lived here from 1840 and built a mansion and ornamental gardens. In the 1880s the estate was largely open farmland with 16-hectare apple orchard and an area of ancient woodland known as Cuckoo Wood. In 1938 High Elms was sold to Kent County Council, transferring in 1965 to LB Bromley as Green Belt Open Space. In 1967 the mansion was destroyed by fire but the formal gardens, stable block, surviving remains of an Eton Fives court and the ice well remained.
The site is shown as farmland on OS Map of 1871. Farnborough Recreation Ground was in existence by 1935, adjacent to Tugg Mutton or Tugmutton Common. A largely level area of mown grass, the park has sports pitches, tennis courts and children’s play area. Near the entrance to the car park is a low bank topped by mature and semi mature oak trees, which runs north/south and is probably an old field boundary. Shrubs and immature trees are along the fenced boundary of the park.
The 1st edition OS map of 1867 shows the area as farmland and it continued to be in use as such until housing was built in the C20th. The area was called Glentrammon Park until 1887 when the land was purchased for housing, built in 1909. The park, bordered by hedges and small trees, is divided into two fields, the boundary between them possibly a relict field boundary with shrubs and small trees. The park has the best views of surrounding countryside in the borough.