All Saints, Onslow Gardens, Sanderstead
A medieval village parish church mainly dating from the 13th and 14th century but heavily restored in 1832. The north aisle was extended and widened in 1937 and a side chapel added. Inside there are a number of interesting monuments from the mid 17th century onwards and two medieval wall paintings uncovered in 1938.
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St Columba, Queenhill Road, Selsdon (Roman Catholic)
Surrounded by suburbia this is a church of 1962 by Tomei and Maxwell.
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St John the Divine, Upper Selsdon Road, Selsdon
The east end and tower of this typical Newberry and Fowler church of 1935 face the road. This end of the church was rebuilt to the original design following WW2 damage.
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St Mary, Purley Oaks Road/Beech Avenue, Sanderstead
A rather typical Greenaway and Newberry design of 1926. It was left unfinished and a neatly matching west end with baptistery was added in 1970-1971 by Stephen Dykes Bower. The adjacent wooden hall was built as Sanderstead Mission church in 1908.
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Christ Church, Brighton Road, Purley
The original Purley parish church on the main road in the valley. It is by James Fowler and dates from 1877-78. In recent years a large extension of halls, offices and other rooms has been attached with the church now entered through a bay in its north aisle wall. Inside the orientation has been moved to be southwards with the chancel seated as an extension of the main worship area.
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St Paul, St Paul’s Road, Thornton Heath
Built in two campaigns – 1871 and 1900 and ascribed by the diocesan website to Richard Norman Shaw. The church is now divided with the nave being used as a hall (though it can be opened out into the eastern parts) and the eastern parts as a church. The aisles are also divided off into other ancillary rooms, several stained glass windows are in toilets and the kitchen.
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St Matthew, Chichester Road, Croydon
Southeast of the town centre in leafy suburbia, this church replaced a 19th-century building on the edge of the town centre. The architect was David Bush and it was built as a complex of halls, offices and church in 1965-72. It was originally orientated towards the wall that now features two fire doors. Their insertion led to the altar being moved in front of John Hayward’s stained glass windows. Some choir pews and two angels, as well as some of the glass re-used in the windows, remain from the previous church.
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St Mark (former), Lansdowne Road, Purley now The Dorothy Mortby Centre
A back street tin tabernacle that served this area around the Brighton Road prior to the building of St Swithun.
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St John the Baptist, Dale Road (Roman Catholic)
A gothic church of 1938 by E.J. walters with north and south chapels added in 1958 by Walters and Kerr Bate.
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St Barnabas, Higher Drive, Purley closed June 2025
At the peak of a steep hill, this church was designed by George Lowe and Partners in 1959, it replaced a church of 1932 which still exists as a hall (and church in cold weather) hidden behind this church. The last few pictures show the interior of this building which had replaced another small early 20th century building. The lady chapel has a painting by John Hayward.
The church closed on 8 June 2025 its altar was moved to a side chapel at All Saints, Kenley which is now All Saints & St Barnabas.
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London Churches in photographs 