The History of St Augustine's Church
At the end of the 19th century the area between the "Crown Inn" on Bromley Common and the railway line at Petts Wood was still mostly farmland and woods. There were two farms here - Turpington and Blackbrook - a few scattered cottages and one or two larger houses, such as Southborough Lodge and Blackbrook House. There were also (as now) two inns - the "Chequers" and the "Crooked Billet."
At about this time, however, a large number of small terraced houses began to appear in the area immediately east of Bromley Common, and roads such as Southlands Road and Chatterton Road were laid out. Plans were drawn up for a new church to be built along Bromley Common, and St. Luke's, a fine brick building, opened in 1890. More and more houses were built, spreading towards Petts Wood, and the need was felt for a mission church to be established in the area of Southborough Lane for the ever-increasing population. This was a common problem on the fringes of London at this time of population expansion, coupled with the great improvements in transport. The solution usually adopted was to put up, quickly and inexpensively, corrugated iron "pre-fab" chapels, affectionately nicknamed "Tin Tabernacles."
In 1912 the owner of Turpington Farm offered to sell part of an orchard across the road from the farm as the site for a "Tin Tab." So by the following year the small chapel called St. Augustine's was built. This was still within the Parish of St. Luke's, and so services were conducted by whoever was the Curate there - at that time it was the Revd. J. Broadhead.
Still more houses appeared, stretching up to Petts Wood, and it was realised that St. Augustine's would have to be a separate parish. This became so in 1934, the first Vicar being the Revd. R.H. Soar. In 1938 a fine church hall was built on ground behind the church to supplement the limited space in the church itself. This is now the Dancing Academy in St. Augustine's Avenue.
Even as early as 1943 the Parochial Church Council was considering the need for a new and bigger, more permanent, church, to be sited somewhat nearer to the geographical centre of the parish. It was obvious that nothing could be done until after the War. About half a mile to the east of the church were the ruins of Blackbrook House, which had been badly damaged in 1940 when a parachute mine landed nearby, and which gradually deteriorated thereafter. In 1948 the Diocese of Rochester was able to purchase the site, on the understanding that Bromley Council could buy the site of the "Tin Tab" for the proposed Southborough Library.
Mr. Victor Heal, a well-known architect, who lived at Turpington Farm, and who had designed the church hall, offered to design the new building, and after many years of fund-raising it was possible to make a start. The foundation stone was duly laid on September 28th 1957, and a year later, in October 1958, the new church was consecrated by the Bishop of Rochester, Dr. Christopher Chavasse.
Additions and improvements have gradually been made to the church, starting in 1970 by the building of the Barnard Room, followed in 1976 by a number of internal improvements to the main church. In 1986 further extensions were made on the north side, adding considerably to the accommodation provided by the Barnard Room. A larger 
room, known as the Garden Room, linked the church to the Scout Headquarters; a coffee bar, improved toilet facilities, and a smaller room and lobby at the western end completed the improvements. The flat roof of the main church had for some years given rise to weatherproofing problems, and finally in 1992 these were overcome by the addition of a low-pitched roof, barely visible from ground level.
1999 saw the replacement of the original wooden chairs with comfortable padded ones, and the carpeting of much of the church.