St Edward the Confessor

Documentary evidence on Mottingham dates back to Saxon times, being first mentioned in a Charter of King Ethelbert dated AD 862. It seems that Mottingham also had connections with St Edward the Confessor extending back well over 900 years.

For another 800 years Mottingham was an agricultural community. The first parish church of St Andrews was built in 1880 and served Mottingham village until extensive development of the area during the 1930s as part of the LCC rehousing schemes for London. During this time it was agreed that a new parish would be formed, supported by the rector of St Andrews. The area was initially made a 'Conventional District' which meant it was independent but remained legally part of St Andrews.

The hall, vicarage and church were to be built in memory of Bishop Edward Stuart Talbot, the first Bishop of Southwark in 1905 and the parish was to be known as the Bishop Talbot Memorial Parish. The church hall was opened and dedicated on 14th July 1937 by the Bishop of Southwark. The following year the vicarage was built and blessed for use on 12th April 1938. The war intervened and the title of Bishop Talbot Memorial Church was dropped along with the plans for an elaborate design in favour of the simpler neo gothic design we see today. At the same time the decision was also made to call the parish St Edward the Confessor.

On 29th June 1957 the corner stone of the church was laid by Revd KG Hoare, the first priest of the parish and dedicated by the Bishop of Woolwich. The new parish was recognised in its own right, separate from St Andrews the church of St Edward the Confessor was consecrated on Saturday 19th July 1958, in a service led by the Rt Rev. Bertram Simpson, the Bishop of Southwark. The vicar at the time was the Revd AJ Buckley.

The present church is flanked by the church hall and vicarage. It comprises a nave, chancel, south east chapel, clergy vestry, narthex which is extended northward to provide a choir vestry and link into the hall. There is an imposing square tower sited centrally at the west end. The chancel is of one and a half bays, the main bay accommodating the choir and the half bay the sanctuary. There are narrow single storey side aisles with flat roofs. The 30 high windows, with clear glass give the church a light, spacious and transcendent feel, raising hearts and minds to heaven. The pews were removed in 2016 so as to enable more flexible seating for a wider range of community use, which now includes film nights and pantomime.