Dartford: St Edmund the King & Martyr
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 549 750
The Parish church of St Edmund King and Martyr, Temple Hill was created in 1955 as a church plant from St Albans, Dartford. The original pre-fabricated green hut was replaced by a post-war concrete church, which was closed and demolished in 2002. While the new church was being built, we worshipped in Temple Hill School. In 2004, the new ‘St Edmund’s Church Living Well’ was opened.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
4-bay nave and slightly narrower single-bay chancel, porch under south-west tower leading to vestibule at west end.
Dimensions:
Approximately 20m (61ft) x 8m (25 feet).
Description of Archaeology and History
The name Temple Hill appears to refer to the ownership of the land by the Order of the Knights Templar, though no archaeological remains from this period are known. However, traces of an extensive Iron Age and Romano-British settlement and cemetery were found within 50m of the site, and a Roman villa and Anglo-Saxon settlement site are known 500m south-west of the church. Post-medieval burials and a plague pit have also been found in the area. The possibility of important archaeological remains surviving within the church precinct cannot be excluded. Accordingly, the Sites and Monuments Record should be consulted, and a condition for an archaeological evaluation should be attached to any development of the site.
The church was built in 1955-6 to designs by the architects Bostock and Wilkins of London. There is a stone tablet set into the wall, inscribed: “This stone was laid by Mrs C W Norman, 10th September 1955”. The church was re-ordered and re-oriented in 1996, which did not involve interference with the fabric.
Exterior Description
The church of St Edmund King and Martyr is a very simple and unassuming building, basically consisting of one long hall, with the tower and entrance porch at the north-western corner and the slightly protruding chancel east gable giving a little architectural quality, with a Georgian feel. The church fits well into its context, humble and solid but a salient feature in the area.
The short octagonal tower provides a focus for the eye and a dignified entrance to the building. The doorway itself is wide and rectangular, the frame of limestone with moulded jambs. The wave-shaped hoodmould over the doorway completes this most complex composition within the building. There are two plain rectangular windows flanking the doorway, and a wooden cross mounted on the wall above it. The belfry stage under the low pitched lead-clad roof has five simple rectangular slit openings in each face; in the architect’s original drawings there were louvres planned here. There is a metal finial cross atop the roof.
The brick-clad external walls are plain, with the exception of a little brick detailing below the eaves. The low-pitched roofs are again covered in lead sheets. There are three plain rectangular windows in the nave north wall and five in the south, with blue-painted metal frames, and a taller window reaching from the floor to the roof in the chancel side walls. There is a simple round window in the west wall above the vestibule. The east wall is blind, with a large wooden cross mounted on the wall.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
20th century 4-bay
Chancel
20th century single bay
Porch
20th century under the tower
Tower (component)
20th century south-west
Building Materials
Steel
20th century construction
Concrete
20th century construction
Brick
20th century external cladding, yellow
Timber
20th century roof in the tower
Lead
20th century roof covering
Interior
Interior Description
Internally, the space has been re-ordered, with the chancel turned into a Lady chapel with the altar against the south wall and the nave similarly re-oriented to provide the main worship space. Aumbry and piscina in the Chapel, the latter in the same style as the main doorway. A chapel screen and altar platform were formed from the original benches.
Chairs are now arranged in rows in a semi-cirle around the High altar. The concrete girders supporting the roof and marking the bays are picked out in dark green, with a lighter green used on the walls and metal screens which have been employed to sub-divide the space. Green is again picked up in the furniture and furnishings. The ceiling is of plastic tiles, and shows signs of damp penetration. The floors are woodblock throughout.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Large table of oak, designed by the architects and presented with the building in 1956. Lady chapel altar table of oak, given in 1998 by Joyce Green Hospital, with whom the parish has traditionally had strong links.
Reredos
20th century None as such, but a green dossal curtain with suspended wooden cross is behind the altar.
Lectern
20th century Plain oak reading desk, given by Joyce Green Hospital 1998.
Font (component)
20th century Octagonal conical oak font, with a brass bowl and domed lid with a cross handle. Designed by the architects and presented with the building in 1965.
Inscribed Object
20th century On the south wall is a plain wooden tablet with the names of the incumbents since 1956. Underneath this is a smaller tablet in memory of Ada Bristow, who died 10.12.1972 aged 67.
Organ (component)
20th century This large two manual pipe organ was built by the important organ building firm of William Hill & Son in 1900. Affixed brass plaque on which it is recorded that the organ was bought for the church in 1968 by Rutland Griffin, Mayor of Dartford, in memory of Alec Webb, former Mayor of Dartford. It apparently stood before this in a secular college. Although it is no longer in the building for which it was built, the straight pedal board and trigger swell pedal both suggest that it might be in or close to its original condition and worthy of removing intact to a new location. There are eleven speaking stops and two couplers. The casework is noteworthy for an organ of this date and the sides to the case are ingeniously formed of Bourdon pipes. The organ is freestanding. The future of the organ is under discussion.
Rail
20th century Brass rail with swing gates, given in memory of George Fielder in 1968.
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers are baptisms and marriages from 1956 onwards, burial of ashes certificates from 1992.
Chairs of light wood with green upholstery, catalogue 1996.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 549 750
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.