Church Of St John

Church of St John, Barrow

This is an estate church associated with Willey Hall, begun in the 12th century with substantial additions in the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1880 enlargement was designed by Arthur William Blomfield, one of the leading church architects of the Gothic Revival.

The church is constructed of sandstone rubble laid in regular courses, with freestone dressings and tile roofs. The plan comprises a nave with aisles that incorporate an organ chamber, chapel and family pew, a west tower with porch, and a lower chancel.

The chancel retains two small round-headed 12th-century south windows, one blocked, and a 3-light Decorated east window. The nave has a reset window at the west end of the north wall. Blomfield's additions are buttressed with straight-headed and pointed 2-light and 3-light windows, including windows under gables that create the impression of transepts. The 3-stage tower has diagonal buttresses in the lower two stages and an embattled parapet. It features a round-headed doorway with imposts and keystone, with iron gates bearing fleur-de-lis finials in front. The 2-light west window has Y-tracery and dates from 1880, as does the tablet below the sill commemorating the rebuilding. Other windows are round-headed with impost and key blocks.

Internally, the three-bay nave arcades are in Transitional style with round piers, waterleaf-type capitals to square abaci, and chamfered pointed arches. The 14th-century style chancel arch has an inner order on corbels. The tall tower arch dates from 1880, as do the roofs. The nave and chancel have unceiled wagon roofs; the aisles have arched-brace roofs. The south aisle contains a chapel at the east end and family pew at the west end, the latter featuring a canted boarded ceiling. The chapel has a quadripartite vault on marble shafts with shaft rings. Walls are exposed stonework; floors are black and white stonework.

The 12th-century tub font is plain. The polygonal wooden pulpit has three tiers of fielded panels. 17th-century panels are reused for the chancel dado and reading desk. The chapel is separated by low iron screens with gates. The white-marble chapel reredos depicting the Three Maries at the tomb was created by J.E. Boehm in 1881. Pews, including the elevated family pew, have ends with blind arcading in 17th-century style. Above the tower arch is a Victorian Royal Arms. Several wall monuments are present. The monument to Sir John Weld (died 1666) is attributed to William Stanton and is framed by Corinthian columns and pediment with achievement. In the chancel, the monument to George Weld (died 1748) is by Roger Eykyn of Wolverhampton, consisting of a panel surmounted by a sarcophagus and bracketed pediment. Three hatchments are also present. In the porch is a figure of St John the Evangelist in a niche above an inscription recording the 1880 restoration. The east window shows the Baptism of Christ and was made by William Morris & Co in 1933.

The parish church developed as the estate church of Willey Hall. The chancel and west end of the nave date from the 12th century. The tower was rebuilt in 1712, probably at the expense of the Weld family. A Weld family chapel that existed in the 17th century was replaced by 1821 when Cecil Weld-Forester became the first Lord Forester, then replaced again in 1880 when aisles, family pew and chapel were added by Sir Arthur Blomfield at the expense of Lady Forester.

Arthur William Blomfield (1829–99) was one of the most active and successful church architects of the Gothic Revival. He was the fourth son of Bishop Charles J Blomfield of London (bishop 1828–56). Articled to P.C. Hardwick, he began independent practice in London in 1856. His early work is characterised by a strong muscular quality and the use of structural polychrome often with continental influences. He became diocesan architect to Winchester, which brought numerous church-building commissions throughout the diocese. From 1883 he was also architect to the Bank of England. Blomfield was knighted in 1889 and received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1891. The church is now redundant and is in the charge of the Willey Hall Estate.