St Mary's Church

There is documentary evidence that a church has existed on this site since at least 1282. However, Roman bricks were found when the tower was underpinned in 1913, so it is probable that there were even earlier buildings on the site. The area was eventually served by Catholic priests from Bermondsey Abbey. Following the break with Rome under Henry VIII in 1538, the vestments, silver and gold plate and other gifts of the cathedral were sold to provide money to repair the mediaeval church. Some remains of the mediaeval building can still be seen, for example the stone blocks incorporated into the walls on each side of the organ. In the crypt, parts of the old church walls of chalk and flint…

St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe is fortunate to possess a fine pipe-organ dating from 1764 installed by the organ builder John Byfield II. Despite several alterations in the intervening years the present-day instrument retains much of its original character and its magnificent organ case. A history of the instrument can be found at https://alanjohnphillips.weebly.com/rotherhithe.html#history

St Mary's Church is within the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. As the parish is unable to accept the ordination of women, it receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Fulham (currently Jonathan Baker).