Description

BIRMINGHAM

997/7/10527 DARNLEY ROAD
21-OCT-70 LADYWOOD
Anglican Church of St John and St Pete
r, including gate piers and boundary w
all

(Formerly listed as:
WOOD STREET B16
LADYWOOD
CHURCH OF ST JOHN)

II
Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist and St Peter. 1852-4. By S. S. Teulon. Decorated style. Polygonal chancel, side chapels and transepts added in 1881. By J. A. Chatwin

MATERIALS: The church is constructed of coursed red sandstone with ashlar dressings. The tiled roof has alternating bands of scalloped tiles.

PLAN: The church is orientated south-west to north-east but the liturgical compass points of east and west will be used in the description. The church has a cruciform plan (originally basilican) with chapels to either side of the chancel and a vestry to the north-east corner.

EXTERIOR: The asymmetrical west elevation includes the four stage battlemented tower with pinnacles and angle buttresses. The west door, to the nave, is set within a pointed arch with trefoil lights to either side. Above the door is a four light tracery window and a trefoil light to the apex of the gable end. The nave has an angled buttress to its south-west corner and the south aisle is set back. To the north elevation of the west tower is a pointed arch doorway and a single storey stair turret. The three aisle windows are divided by buttresses and have two lights with, from east to west, a quatrefoil, trefoil and cinquefoil above. The five clerestorey windows to the north and south elevations are two-light windows with pointed cusped heads. To the east is the double-pile gable end transept and two staggered gable end bays forming the vestry. The polygonal apse to the east end has a central five-light tracery window with a two-light window to either side. To either side of the chancel are single-storey lean-to chapels. The south elevation consists of the double-pile gable end transepts and two aisle windows of two lights with, from west to east, pointed trefoil and cinquefoil above. The gable end south porch has a pointed stone arch doorway supported on stone columns. To the west is a battlemented stair turret with a trefoil band. To the hood moulds are head stops, none of which are identical.

INTERIOR: The five-bay arcades are formed from octagonal stone piers on square bases with chamfered broach stops. The piers support pointed arches with imposts. The transepts have two-bay arcades of the same formation. The transept roofs are supported on carved angel corbels. The pointed arches between the aisle and side chapels have foliate capitals, and the arcade pier to the east end above the pulpit has a rich elaborate capital which is Perpendicular in style. The chancel has an encaustic tile floor and an arch-braced collar rafter roof which is richly decorated. The stone reredos and panelling has cusped niches, marble piers and angel statues. The altar rails feature gilded carvings of the Agnus Dei and symbolic representation of St John as the eagle. The chancel also includes its choir stalls and chancel seating. Pairs of stone arches lead to the side chapels. The Lady Chapel to the south retains its 1920s furnishings by P. B. Chatwin. There are carved head stops to the window hood moulds.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Brick and stone gate piers with gabled caps with cusped detailing, and brick boundary walls.

HISTORY: The Church of St John and St Peter was built in 1852-4 and designed by S. S. Teulon. The church was consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester on the 15 March 1854. In 1881 the polygonal apse, side chapels and transepts were added by J. A. Chatwin. The Church of St John the Evangelist became the Church of St John and St Peter in 2000.

SOURCES: N. Pevsner and A. Wedgwood, Warwickshire. The Buildings of England (2003) 137; R. Thornton, Victorian Buildings of Birmingham (2006) 97

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The Church of St John and St Peter is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Built in 1852-4 to the designs of S. S. Teulon, it is a good example of his prolific church architecture, with alterations by Birmingham architect J. A. Chatwin
* The chancel retains some good fixtures and fittings including the stone reredos and richly decorated chancel roof
* The competent stone carving, both to the exterior and interior, most notably the characterful carved head stops to the hood moulds, each depicting a different individual

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St John's Church at Wikipedia
• St John's Church official website
• Wikidata Q7593554

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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