William Harnett Blanch recorded in “the History and Antiques of the Parish of Camberwell” published in 1875, that the church was a substantial building of brick. He further noted that
“The design is a composition from the Norman and early Pointed styles, and consists of a nave and aisles, a chancel, and a western tower, forming a general entrance, surmounted by a spire. The interior is remarkably neat; there are deep galleries, supported by cast-iron columns on each side, and also at the west end, which is partitioned off by a range of three pointed arches. In the centre recess is a small organ; all the windows are of the lancet form; beneath the church is a spacious crypt, used as a school room”.
St Mary Magdalene has focused on mission since its inception. Through church planting other churches were established between1841 and 1883 in the area served by St Mary’s, including St Mark’s, Harders Road, (now Wood’s Road). St Paul’s Church (Hooper’s Hall) on Consort Road, dedicated in 1907, was built by St Mary’s to serve the benefice’s growing population. Between 1897 and 1971, twenty four people left St Mary’s as missionaries to various parts of the world, primarily Africa and South America.
St Mary’s has since inception focused on community ministry. A Church Day School, now St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School, was built in 1856 on Godman Road. According to J. D. Beasley in his book, “Peckham in the Nineteenth Century” published in 1973, the school had accommodation for 130 boys, 120 girls and 150 infants. St Mary’s Church Hall was built in 1891; it was for many years home for our youth clubs and other uniformed youth associations with links with the Church, e.g. Brownies. It is currently used for a Preschool, and for a variety of educational/social/cultural activities by voluntary agencies/organisations in the community.
In the Second World War, in the early days of the blitz, the first church building was destroyed by a bomb on 21st September 1940 with the loss of five lives. The Vicar, Rev. Edmund Buxton, wrote:
“The destruction of the church will be a great grief to many…but let us remember that although the walls of the church building may have fallen the Church still stands – the Church which is the Body of Christ of which we are members. Nothing can destroy that.”
Worship continued in the Church Hall as well as at St Paul’s, Consort Road while the people of the parish worked, saved and gave for a new building. St Mark’s Church was also damaged during the war; the parish became part of St Mary’s. At last at the beginning of the 1960s work began on the building you see around you. The new building was consecrated on 3rd November 1962 by the Bishop of Southwark, Lord Bishop Mervyn Stockwood. The occasion was honoured by the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Content provided by Barrie Thurlow with contributions from Sonia Phippard and Olu Adams