How about a visit to a church with a spire known as “the Needle of Kent”? This is St Michael and All Angels in Blackheath. It is an Anglican parish church with a fascinating history. St Michael and All Angels is part of the Diocese of Southwark. The Grade II listed building was designed by George Smith.
Let’s step back in time to the early 19th century. John Cator purchased the Cator Estate in 1783. The estate included Wricklemarsh mansion and 250 acres. After Cator died in 1806, his nephew John Barwell Cator inherited the estate. Residents needed a local church. Cator provided land and £4,000 for its construction.
The foundations were laid on December 20 1828. The building was completed in February 1830. George Smith was the architect. William Moore was the builder. He was a local bricklayer and carpenter.
Interestingly, the chapel wasn’t always known as St Michael and All Angels. Until 1874, it was called Trinity or St Peter’s Chapel. Some people simply called it ‘Mr Cator’s chapel’. Finally, it was consecrated as St Michael and All Angels in 1874.
During the Second World War, air raids heavily affected St Michael and All Angels. Frank Colquhoun was the vicar at the time.
The architecture of St Michael and All Angels is quite distinctive. It features a Gothic style, unusual for the 1830s. Its tall spire reaches 172 feet. This is why it is known as “the Needle of Kent”. The steeple’s placement is also unique. It is at the east end of the building. It was intended to attract attention from the estate crossroads. The building uses white Gault bricks with Bath stone dressings. Welsh slate covers the roof. Ian Nairn described it as “far more individual than the usual run”. He also noted “the highly successful Eastern Tower”.
One more interesting fact: The stone pulpit was erected in 1920. It serves as a World War I memorial. St Michael and All Angels stands as a testament to history, architecture and community spirit.