History

The Church Hall on Leamington Avenue, Orpington, was opened on Sunday the 22nd June 1958. The hall formed part of the rapidly growing Davis estate that was going up after the war, in a formerly tranquil area of Farnborough parish. The estate had become difficult to access from St Giles church, in the village, due to the presence of the A21. As a result, the parish decided that a church or church hall was needed here. The New Church Hall, as it was first known, was opened and dedicated by the then Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Christopher Chevasse. Initially services here were led by Gordon Galbraith, a Lay Reader. Following him, 16 clergy have led this church. Over the years, St Nicholas church, as it came to be known from the 1970s onwards, developed its own character and traditions. It has always been a church, and a building, that has been adaptable. Today, St Nicholas church is still a building where many members of the community continue to come for different activities that take place here during the week. But it is still a place that can be transformed, at very short notice, into somewhere where people gather to worship God. As we draw on over 60 years of tradition, we look to the future with our vision of ‘Transforming our Community through the Presence of Christ’.