St Margaret's, Lee of the restoration, the church is one of the best preserved examples of a decorated gothic revivalist interior in London. Between 1813-1830 there had been an attempt to rebuild the medieval church, involving the architect Joseph Gwilt. This failed when it became clear that the foundations of the old church were incapable of supporting a new building. The ruins of the original building are in the medieval churchyard on the north side of Lee Terrace. The tomb of Edmond Halley (1656–1742), from 1720 England's second Astronomer Royal and the discoverer of the periodicity of Halley's Comet is in the churchyard,
Edmund Weaver (astronomer) him as "a very uncommon genius, who had made himself master in astronomy and was scarcely to be accounted the second in the kingdom". It was through association with Weaver that Stukeley developed an interest in astronomy. Weaver’s writing on astronomy and astrology was also appreciated by Martin Folkes, the president of the Society of Antiquaries. Weaver supported the heliocentric view of the universe. He opposed criticism of the accuracy of ephemerides formulated by Edmond Halley, the Astronomer Royal, particularly that from Tycho Wing. Through his 1741 edition of "The British Telescope", he described the path of the forthcoming 1769