St John the Divine, Merton

The picture above gives a slightly false impression; while St John the Divine has as charming a churchyard immediately around it as any, it is located in a very urban part of south London, a few minutes' walk from South Wimbledon underground station. Sandwiched between the High Path housing estate and the large industrial estate on Merantun Way, it sits amidst the noise of constant traffic on the adjacent A219 and A24.

The church itself was built in 1913-14 to mark the centenary of the death of Admiral Lord Nelson, whose residence (with Lord and Lady Hamilton) at Merton Place was located close by. The land for the church and the adjacent gardens was gifted by J Mackerell, the great nephew of Rear Admiral Isaac Smith (1752-1831), the first officially recorded European to land in Australia in 1770. The architect was C H Gate, who delivered a competent neo-Gothic design, with north and south aisles, chancel, Lady Chapel, and a north-west tower with porch under.

The furnishings most of interest are the altar, made from wood from Nelson's Flagship HMS Victory, and pre-Raphaelite stained glass in the Lady Chapel by Edward Burne-Jones. The church now is part of the Merton priory team, and features a busy parish life with Messy Church alongside traditional services.

St John the Divine, High Path, Merton SW19 2JY