Church Of St John The Evangelist

SE 32 NE ROTHWELL LEEDS ROAD LS26 (west side) Oulton

6/87 Church of St. John 5th June 1964 the Evangelist

II*

Church. 1827-29, by Rickman and Hutchinson. Sandstone ashlar, slate roof. West tower with spire, nave with north and south aisles, north porch, apsidal chancel with hexagonal south vestry. In Early English style. The 3-stage tower, with prominent angle buttresses, has a 2-centred arched west doorway moulded in 3 orders, with hoodmould run out as a string-course carried round the whole, a lancet in each side of 2nd stage with 3 orders of hollow moulding, a band of quartrefoils above, tall triple-lancets to the belfry stage (the outer blind and the centre louvred), a corbel table to the cornice, and corner pinnacles with flying buttresses to the octagonal spire, which has gableted lucarnes at this level and smaller lucarnes half way up. The regular 6-bay nave and aisles, with buttresses to the aisles and lesenes to the nave, and plain parapets to both (the upper with corbel tables in each bay) have moulded lancets with hoodmoulds, and at the east end a buttress to the nave finished with a tall octagonal pinnacle. The north aisle has a very prominent gabled porch to the 3rd bay, with emphatic angle buttresses and similar corner pinnacles, a shafted outer doorway moulded in 3 orders, a hoodmould with figured stops, a corbelled niche above, parapet with weathered coping and apex finial, a lancet in each side, a vaulted ceiling, and an inner door with 3 orders of deeply-undercut moulding. The buttressed 3-bay chancel with 3-sided apsidal east end has shafted lancets under hoodmoulds with figured stops, and plain parapet with slender pinnacles rising from the buttresses ; and attached on the south side a hexagonal vestry, like a chapter house, in matching style.

Interior: a lofty and luminous impression given by tall arcades of columns with engaged shafts, 2-centred arches with 3 orders of moulding, and groin-vaulted ceiling with carved bosses, the groins springing from clustered wall-shafts between the arches; aisles and chancel also groin-vaulted; heavily moulded chancel arch carried by shafted piers; organ loft at west end on canted 5-bay arcade; in the apse, rich blind arcading in Geometrical style; in north wall of chancel a gabled canopied recess with carved cinquefoil surround, framing a wall monument to John Blayds of Leeds and Oulton, "the Founder of this Church", died 1827, with inscribed footnote "formerly Johnn Calverley"; walls plastered and whole interior painted white.

History: see Oulton: Villaoe Church Estate, St. John's Press, 1979.

Listing NGR: SE3597228095