St Mary Cray Viaduct from the churchyard
Introduction
The photograph on this page of St Mary Cray Viaduct from the churchyard by Marathon as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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St Mary Cray Viaduct from the churchyard
Image: © Marathon Taken: 7 Jun 2011
John Newman in Pevsner's 'The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald' writing in 1969 was fairly scathing about St Mary Cray. He wrote: "The post-war expansion in the Cray Valley has been terrific... So it is an indictment of the planners that St Mary Cray is no place to linger in, and an indictment of the architects, and also it must be admitted of post-war austerity, that there is hardly anything worthy to be mentioned in 'The Buildings of England'; not a factory, not a school, not a housing estate, just one undistinguished church." Of the church he says: "Below the intimidating arches of the railway viaduct. Outside all one sees is of the restoration of 1861-3 (E. Nash), 1876 and 1895. ..But in essence the church is early 13th century. West tower and shingled spire. Nave and aisles of three bays." Seen from the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin is St Mary Cray viaduct between St Mary Cray and Swanley stations. The viaduct was built in 1860 for the London, Chatham & Dover Railway.
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Image Location
Latitude
51.394378
Longitude
0.114417