A History of Chipstead Church      

Dedicated to St Margaret of Anitoch

In the Diocese of Southwark

Circa AD675 Yew Tree gives way to wooden building

Frithelwald, Under King of the Surrey Men, gives Chipstead to Chertsey Abbey.
1086 Domesday Book, Churchfelle Hundred includes “Tepestede”. Chertsey holds the land, with Richard of Tonbridge as tenant.
Circa AD1150 present Church started. “Dog tooth” door can still be seen
post AD1200 Cruciform shape and tower.
1303 William de Brompton dies – first known date for Chipstead clergyman.
1356 Two Chipstead men pardoned in the Town & Gown riots in Oxford.
1492 Wanting to be buried in the Churchyard, William Tanner gives a sheep “to the light of St Margaret’s
1540 Henry Porter gives £4 for the “Persone’s bell” and asked for 30 Priests to sing at his funeral.
1553 Sir Thomas Cawarden allows Chipstead to keep its 4 bells, one chalice and one altar cloth: all its other goods sold for 24s. 11d.
1585 and 1607 Two of the present bells cast.
1614 Lucie Roper buried and brass made for her tomb.
1645 Revd. George Moore alleged to be a ‘common drunkard and swearer’; replaced by Robert Mercer a ‘godley and orthodox divine’.
1646 Robert Mercer accused of wrongfully felling glebe and rectory trees.
1658 and 1785 Two new bells added.
1746 Mary Stephens leaves money for ‘teaching 6 poor children, boys or girls, to read …’
1790 Bitter election to the Vestry with “every injurious report possible spread about one candidate”.
1753 – 1808 John Grifies Rector for more than half a century.
1808 The Peter Aubertins, father and son, hold the Parish until 1889.  Church restored, organ installed, South Transept built, Church re-roofed and re-glazed.
1807 - 1834 St Edward Banks falls in love with Chipstead whilst building the Turnpike and ‘Railed Way’ in the Valley in conjunction with Sir William “Hat” Joliffe.
1827 the Font (14th Century) was placed on its present base and steps.
1901 Rev. Young found guilty of ‘conduct unbecoming’ - forward with women and drink, backward in parish duties.
1940 Windows destroyed by parachute land-mine.
1965 Crested help of Anthony Stephens stolen from Church.
1985 ‘New Vestry’ completed and furnished.
1993 The new Font cover was inaugurated, the greater part being made from wood of the ancient yew destroyed by the hurricane of 1987.
1995 Celebration of over 800 years of worship in this place.
2012 The new building in the churchyard, “The Orchard”, was inaugurated and blessed by the Bishop of Croydon.
2014 Prayer Walk was opened in the churchyard 

Welcome to Chipstead Church

 St Margaret’s, Chipstead, Diocese of Southwark