Archibald Corbett was a deeply religious man, and it’s not therefore surprising that many churches were built on his estate. ACS member Liz Coulson provides some more details.
There were seven churches on the St German’s Estate in its heyday.
The Parish Church of St Andrew’s, Catford, Torridon Road
Built at a cost of roughly £10,000 in 1903-4 and consecrated in October 1904, the largest church on the Estate is Anglican St Andrews. It’s surely no coincidence that it was named after the patron saint of Scotland. It remains a very active church today, well-sited at the centre of Corbett’s development.
St Andrews church c 1910
Brownhill Road Baptist Church
The church was opened on the 8th of July 1903 and the church hall on the 5th of June 1937. Damaged by a bomb blast in 1944, it was not used again until 1947. It is currently active in the community.
An early picture of Brownhill Road Baptist Church
A more recent picture of Brownhill Road Baptist Church
Hither Green Congregational Church (later United Reformed Church), Torridon Road
This church opened on the 25th September 1906. In 1972 the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches merged to become the United Reformed Church. The church building was later demolished for housing but the hall remains. A book was published by Raymond Lemmy (Independent Press) in 1949 on the history of the church from 1899 to 1949.
Hither Green Methodist Church, Torridon Road
Services started in a tent in 1898 where the flats stand today. Built in 1913 as the Benson Memorial Church, it was damaged by enemy action in 1944 and services were held in the old hall until 1948. The church closed in 1993 and was demolished in 1995 for housing. The church hall was modified to become a combined church and hall which opened in January 1996.
The United Methodist Church in Torridon Road – a relatively recent picture
Wesleyan Methodist Church, Hither Green Lane
This large church with a church hall and a school attached was completed in April 1900. Sadly it was destroyed by a bomb on 11th September 1940. No trace of these buildings remains today and a block of flats and some houses later replaced them. The congregation moved to the Methodist Church on Torridon Road.
The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Hither Green Lane
Presbyterian Church, Birkhall Road
This church was built in the early 1900s and closed in 1934. The site is now a playground for Torridon Road School. The London Metropolitan Archives holds a marriage register for the church covering the years 1908 to 1931.
Plymouth Brethren, Glenfarg Road
There is mention of a meeting house for Plymouth brethren in Glenfarg Road. Apart from the fact that this was founded in 1900 we have been unable to discover any further details so far.
References
Much of the information comes from Hither Green “The Forgotten Hamlet” by Godfrey Smith