History

StGeorge St George’s Church stands on a probable pagan site at the top of the hill on the road from Crowhurst Lane End to Lingfield. It was dedicated in 1191 to St George, the new patron saint of England, But it’s clear there was a place of worship on this site for many years preceding 1191 as the nave belongs to a church of an earlier period, possibly late 11^th century.

The church is of simple design, altered and expanded over the years with the first enlargement probably occurring in 1190, when the south aisle was added, followed by the chancel at the beginning of the 13^th century. Early in the 15^th century, the building was thoroughly restored, the east end of the chancel built, and many new windows inserted. Parts of the church were badly damaged in a skirmish during the Civil War and there are furrows in the stonework of the porch entrance caused by bowmen sharpening their arrow heads. The church was ‘made plain and repaired’ in 1652 resulting in thinner and heavily buttressed walls on the south and west sides. In 1852 and again in 1886 building works, which seem to have been largely general repairs, were carried out, and a modern steeple was built following a fire in 1947.

The font is a rare 13th Century example with fascinating medieval graffiti. Some are symbols to ward off evil spirits, homage to cult of Mary and others are unexplained. On either side of the altar are the 15th Century tombs of John Gaynesford and his son. In the floor is an iron grave slab, the only one in the country and a relic of the local iron industry. There are later memorials to the other great family, the Angell’s of the Mansion House. The East wall is covered in paintings and mosaics in memory of the Cottenham family and paid for by them. The Victorian window in the Vestry depicts St George and the dragon.

The Yew Tree

St georges tree 2 The yew tree is 4000 years old and some claim it is the oldest tree in England. It is certainly amongst the oldest and is mentioned in several literary works relating the England’s greatest trees. It is also one of the 50 Great British Trees named in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee. The tree may well indicate that worship in this location is indeed of great historical significance, and some have suggested that the site was used for pagan worship.

St georges tree

In 1805, the yew tree was hollowed out to form a small room with a bench and table. It was used both as a meeting place and possibly as a temporary prison for offenders on their way to court. During this work a cannon ball from the Civil War was discovered, and this still exists.

The tree is measured each year on St George’s Day.

In 2017, the yew tree was included in a BBC programme called 'The Secret Life of Trees'' which was presented by Dame Judi Dench.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Plan your journey:

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Livewires (3-7 years)
Encounter (7-11 years)
Katalyst (11-15 years)
Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Night Shelter
Foodbank

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)