Church of St John, Frognal and Fitzjohns, London

Entry Name: Church of St John

Listing Date: 11 August 1950

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1271918

English Heritage Legacy ID: 476954

Also known as: Hampstead Parish Church
St John-at-Hampstead Churchyard

ID on this website: 101271918

Location: St John's Church, Hampstead, Camden, London, NW3

County: London

District: Camden

Electoral Ward/Division: Frognal and Fitzjohns

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Camden

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St John Hampstead

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: Church building Classical architecture

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Description

CAMDEN

TQ2685NW CHURCH ROW
798-1/26/237 (South side)
11/08/50 Church of St John

GV I

Church, closing the perspective of Church Row. 1745-47 by John
Sanderson, the present nave & tower; 1759 steeple rebuilt;
1784 spire added; 1843 Robert Hesketh added the transepts and
extended the church 30 feet westwards; 1878 FP Cockerell
reoriented the church to an altar at the west end, built the
present chancel & added galleries; 1912 Temple Moore created
the north-western Chapel of St Mary & St John out of a vestry
and added new clergy & choir vestries on south side. Crypt
converted for use as Parish Room 1964-5. Yellow stock brick
with stone dressings.
STYLE/PLAN: plain Classical design with 6-bay nave, aisles,
sanctuary and tower at east end with spire.
EXTERIOR: main entrance at base of east tower with moulded
stone doorcase and console bracketed pediment below which a
plaque dated 1745 (reused from west end); overlight and
panelled doors. To either side of tower, entrances with
moulded stone doorcases and cornices; panelled doors. 3
round-arched, architraved windows at 1st floor level with
keystones, lugs and bracketed sills; small panes. Tower with
stone dentil cornice extending as a plain band across aisle
gable and upwards to form a pediment shape. Above the cornice,
tower has a circular lugged clock and round-arched belfry
openings with architraved heads having keystones and impost
bands continuing around the tower as do the sill bands;
battlemented parapet and spire with weathervane. Aisles lit by
similar round-arched windows to east end; west end with 3
similar windows and oculus above central window.
INTERIOR: with tall unfluted Ionic columns supporting arches
which cut into the tunnel vaulted ceiling. Galleries between
the columns. Chapel of St Mary & St John domed with circular
lantern. Chancel decoration, c1883, by TG Jackson who also
designed the pavement, Willis organ case, inlaid choir stalls,
panelling, chandelier, railings and intertwining double gold
decorative pattern over much of the church. Stained glass of
west windows designed by Professor Ellis Wooldridge, executed
by Powell. Much of the rest of the glass designed, executed
and given by Alfred Bell of Clayton & Bell, who also designed
the marble font with Ionic columns to incorporate a 1747 bowl;
gallery window dedicated to Sir George Gilbert Scott, Bell's
tutor. Lady Chapel window by Joan Fulleylove. Mid C18 pulpit

cut down to present size by Cockerell, 1878. Many wall
monuments including those to Rev. Thomas Ainger by Sir George
Gilbert Scott, John Keats, Joanna Baillie, JH Merivale,
Frances Erskine, TN Longman, Henry Cort and others. Oldest
tomb in the church that of James Rixton, buried 1658 in the
old church.
(RCHME: London, Vol. II, West London: London: -1925: 39;
Clarke B: Parish Churches of London: London: -1966: 77;
Victoria County History: Middlesex: Vol. IX, Paddington and
Hampstead Parishes: Oxford: -1989: 146-48).

Listing NGR: TQ2619085615

External Links

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