Title:
BUCKHURST HILL, St John the Baptist
Level: Category
Parish Records
Level: Fonds
BUCKHURST HILL, St John the Baptist
Admin History:
A chapel-of-ease dedicated to St John the Baptist was built in the High Road at Buckhurst Hill (in the ancient parish of Chigwell) in 1837 and consecrated in the same year. The parish of Buckhurst Hill was created in 1867, when the former chapel became the parish church.

An iron mission church was opened in Albert Road in 1873, and was replaced in 1876 by a permanent church dedicated to St Stephen. A second mission church, using the former iron church of St Stephen and dedicated to the Holy Child, was opened in Chestnut Avenue in 1936. This in turn was replaced in 1938 by a permanent brick-built church dedicated to St Elisabeth in honour of Mrs Elizabeth French, founder of the local building firm of W. and C. French. St Elisabeth's church was built and paid for by Mr Charles French in memory of his parents William and Esther French. The spelling of the saint's name in the dedication follows that used in the Authorised Version of the Bible. Neither St Stephen's nor St Elisabeth's church had a burial ground.

In 1947 the parish acquired 17 Roding Lane as a curate's house in connection with St Stephen's church. The property was sold in 1980.

In 1963, the former rectory at St John's church having been demolished, a curate's house was built on part of the rectory grounds and named Glebe House. Glebe House was extended in 1988.

In 1978 St John's Cottage - the former school house for the adjacent primary school - was sold to Essex County Council and its site incorporated into the school buildings.

An Order-in-Council of 15 November 1976 (gazetted 18 November, effective 1 December) transferred to Buckhurst Hill an area from the parish of St Mary the Virgin, Loughton, and created in Buckhurst Hill a team ministry consisting of a team rector and a team vicar. The Order also provided for the creation of District Church Councils for districts within the parish. In 1977 the parish acquired 18 Victoria Road as a house for the team vicar, funding this by the sale of the parsonage at 75 Hornbeam Road, next to St Elisabeth's church. In 1985 the house in Victoria Road was sold, a new team vicarage having been built on the corner of Albert Road and Cedar Close.

In 1984 St Stephen's district consisted of that part of the parish to the east of the Central railway line and to the north of a line dividing Albert Road from Buckhurst Way and Cascade Close from Chestnut Avenue and Hornbeam Close. St Elisabeth's district comprised the remaining area to the east of the railway, together with Broadfield Way, Farm Close, Farm Way, Field Close, and that part of Forest Edge to the south of a line taken across the road from the southern boundary of Lords Bushes.

By 2026 both St Stephen's and St Elizabeth's had closed, and the site of St Elizabeth's church had been sold, leaving St John the Baptist as the only church in the parish.