Description
From 1837 Penge only had a chapel and was part of the parish of Battersea. In 1848 local landowner John Dudin Brown, who was also a freeman of the Company of Watermen, donated a plot of land for a new church and St John the Evangelist was built and consecrated in 1850. The church is surrounded by a garden with mature trees on the perimeter.
Practical Information
| Site location | Beckenham Road/High Street, Penge |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE20 7EQ |
| What3Words | ///major.mole.dairy |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Penge East, Kent House. London Overground: Penge West. Bus 194, 227, 352, 358. Tram in Beckenham Road |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St John the Evangelist Church was built to designs of Edwin Nash and J N Round; its gabled aisles were added in 1861 and the transepts in 1866. The Watermen's Company appointed its first vicar, the Revd Joseph Ridgeway and the church is located next to the Royal Waterman's and Lighterman's Almshouses, which John Dudin Brown was also instrumental in providing, now surviving as private housing and known as Waterman's Square (q.v.). The nearby almshouses of St John's Cottages (q.v.) were provided by John Dudin Brown's daughter and were also designed by Edwin Nash.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ353704 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1850 |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Formerly ornate gardens for the Royal Free Watermen and Lightermen's Almshouses, founded in 1839 for retired Watermen and their wives and widows. The almshouses opened in 1841 and remained in Penge until 1973 when the residents moved to Hastings. The property was acquired by the GLC and then sold for conversion into private housing. Part of the grounds remain in private ownership while the area to the south is now public gardens. The formal garden has a monument to local landowner John Dudin Brown, a freeman of the Company of Watermen, whose donation of 2 acres of land and 50 guineas led to the foundation.
St John's Cottages are a philanthropic development of 12 cottages built in the 1860s as two short terraces and two sets of pairs, which were originally separated by a roadway. This was removed in 1959/60 to become a communal garden, simply laid out as lawn with two flower and shrub beds.
King William IV Gardens originally formed the forecourt to 3-sided red brick and stone almshouses that opened in 1849. They were founded by Queen Adelaide in memory of her husband William IV and were establish to house twelve widows of naval officers. A deep well was sunk in the grounds and a lodge was built to the south. Various changes took place over the years; in 1973 the residents moved to new almshouses in Hampshire and the site was sold for council housing. The houses were renovated and sold to a private property developer in 1985 and remain in private ownership. The central landscaped garden was retained and is simply laid out, while individual gardens at the rear are more elaborately planted.