Cheam, St Dunstan

Address: Church Road, Cheam.

Map Ref: TQ242639

6 Bells • Tenor 10 cwt.

Sunday Service Ringing: 8.45 - 9.30 am

Practice: Thursday 7.45 - 9.15 pm, or 7.15 - 8.00 pm if it happens to be a Red Letter Saints Day.

Entry is via external door at base of tower on the north side of church.

History

The present church was designed by J.T Pownall and stands a few feet to the north of an earlier Saxon church, of which only the chancel remains. Known as the Lumley Chapel, it contains many monuments to the Lumley family, who were for several centuries “Lords of the Manor of Cheam”. Although the main part of the present church was completed in 1864, due to lack of funds it was not until 1871 that the proposed tower and spire were completed and a ring of 6 bells installed. However, although the bells were rung between 1896 and 1918, they then fell silent and were condemned as unringable in 1922 by a report from Gillett and Johnston because “The bells all swing in the same direction and there is a crack in the tower”. The bells remained silent until 1974 when a new incumbent arrived and was keen for the bells to start ringing again, although this was limited as the fittings and fitments had fallen into disrepair. A complete overhaul was carried out for the Jubilee in 1977 at a cost of £4,200, towards which the Surrey Association Belfry Repair Fund made its first ever four figure donation of £1000.

Transport

By Road: Aim for Cheam Village. The A217 Sutton by Pass provides access to High Street with Church Road on the right on leaving the village centre. Pay and display car park is adjacent to church, signposted via Cheam Broadway. Check at the meter for the table of charges payable.

By Bus: Routes 151, 213 and 726 stop in Cheam Village, with a 5-minute walk.

By Train: To Cheam station from Victoria and a 10-minute walk.

Facilities

There are toilets in the church, the nearby Public Library, and of course, the various pubs.

There are 6 pubs within a 5 to 10 minute walk of the church, all of which serve cooked food. There is also a wine bar, sandwich bar and an Egon Ronay recommended fish and chip restaurant.