Rye Lane Baptist Chapel

We are a community Baptist church situated in the heart of Peckham.

Rye Lane Baptist Chapel is a fine example of a Victorian nonconformist church situated in the heart of Peckham on the main shopping street. The original chapel, built in 1819 was demolished to make way for the railway in 1863. The new building, started in May 1863 was opened for worship in November that same year.

The church is set back from the street scape but has an imposing three bay frontage; the central pediment, dated ‘MDCCCLXIII’, supported by giant freestanding Tuscan columns and corresponding giant pillars. The historic memorial stones commemorate the Old Baptist Chapel the new Baptist Chapel and the war damage sustained by enemy action in 1943, and its reopening for public worship in 1948.

Inside the sanctuary boasts architecture which was executed in a Classical Revival style and has imposing gold painted organ pipes, built in 1902/3. The impressive ceiling was based on that of Bond Street chapel, Brighton (1788). Three traditional pews were retained when most of the ground floor pews were removed in 2003. The original gallery pews have all been retained. The walls feature plaques of 8 of the senior ministers who have served in the chapel.

The chapel halls and church offices were demolished following extensive wartime bomb damage in 1943. The new building was initially patched up but rebuilt and opened for use in April 1960. The new back of the building was executed in a Scandinavian influenced modern style.

The church of course is not the building it meets in, but the people who attend. Unless you are able to visit the church on a Sunday morning worship service you will not be able to appreciate the mixture of nationalities which make up the congregation, often people from 25 different countries making up the multi ethnic, multicultural fellowship.