St. Matthew’s
Parish Church of Lee
History
St. Matthew and St. Wardrede dates from 1833 and was consecrated by the bishop as a chapel -of- ease in 1835 on St. Matthew’s day. St. Wardrede is an obscure figure, possibly a Celtic saint who came to preach the gospel here as far back as the 6th century. A medieval chapel bearing his name stood on the site of the present Chapel Cottage. Until World War II, the Craft shop beside the church was St. Wardrede’s Church School.
There is some fine Jacobean carved oak woodwork in the church which came from a local manor house. The victorian wall stencils depict various Christian emblems
