Description

SOUTHWARK

TQ3279 BOROUGH HIGH STREET
636-1/5/100 (East side)
02/03/50 Church of St George The Martyr

II*

Church, 1734-6. By John Price, interior altered 1807-8 by
William Hedger; ceiling 1897 by Basil Champneys, restored
1951-2 by TF Ford.
MATERIALS: red brick with Portland stone, Portland stone
dressings; copper roof over nave, slate roof over chancel.
PLAN: rectangular with west tower of 2 stages with half stages
between, over.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 6-bay north and south elevations, divided
into single-bay narthex and 5-bay nave. Chancel extends a
further bay beyond. 3-bay east and west elevations.
West, entrance front: central section under segmental pediment
supported on giant Ionic columns. Angels in tympanum over
cornice. Inner round arch on flat pilasters framing
square-headed doorway with moulded architrave reached by
flight of 8 steps, curving to sides. Pair of raised and
fielded panelled doors; lunette with bracketed sill above.
In outer sections, doorways at ground floor with architrave,
pulvinated frieze, and console bracketed cornice. Above each,
a round-arched window with apron, eared architrave and a
keystone appearing to support cornice and balustraded parapet
above. Cresset finials to corners of parapet and over
pediment. Plain stone string course between floors continues
round side elevations. Stone quoins and plinth.
North and south elevations: quoins separate narthex from nave.
6 smaller ground-floor windows with elliptical heads, in stone
architraves; 6 gallery windows above as those to west front.
Balustraded parapet continued round from west front over
narthex; plain brick parapets over nave.
Tower: Portland stone, surmounted by spire. Lowest stage
square with single, round-arched opening to each face;
modillion cornice, urn finials. Octagonal half stage above
with small pediment on brackets over clock on each main face.
Next, octagonal Ionic stage defined by half columns at angles,
round-arched opening on alternating faces. Above, shallow
stage with round openings having architrave in form of
cartouche. Polygonal spire with 3 diminishing oval openings on
alternating faces, surmounted by ball and weather vane.
East elevation: pedimented centre breaking forward. Lunette in
tympanum. Palladian window with Ionic pilasters, pulvinated
frieze and cornice; plain arch to centre. Above, garlanded

cartouche. Recessed single-storey side sections with panelled
door in moulded architrave and, above, blind segmental-headed
window in similar architrave. Similar windows to south face of
chancel.
INTERIOR: gallery on 3 sides of nave, supported on square
posts with enriched brackets. Pair of fluted Ionic columns
support gallery at west end, where are Stuart Royal Arms. Open
string stairs to gallery, closed string below organ; moulded
rail, pair of turned balusters per tread. Stairs at east end,
also turned balusters, panelled walls.
Ceiling with Italianate central feature with cherubs breaking
through clouded sky, with texts on ribbon, the whole within a
foliate border. Egg and dart cornice. Deep plaster frieze with
arms of livery companies. Angels and swags on leafy ground.
3-bay chancel with coved barrel vault, enriched keystone to
arch. Wrought-iron communion rail. Tall pulpit on 4 Ionic
columns with fluted engaged columns at angles. Curved stair
with shaped tread ends, ramped rail, stick balusters.
Octagonal grey marble font. Lead cistern, dated 1738, as arms
chest. Many minor tablets C18 and C19. Barrel-vaulted
undercroft. Rooms at ground floor flanking chancel and south
of entrance. Groin-vaulted entrance porch.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached to south-east, brick wall and
pair of square stone dressed gate piers.
(The Buildings of England: Cherry B: London 2: South: England:
1983-1984: 576).

Listing NGR: TQ3249179763

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St George the Martyr at Wikipedia
• St George the Martyr official website
• Wikidata Q545935

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)