Church Of St John

CAMDEN

TQ2685NE DOWNSHIRE HILL 798-1/27/341 (South side) 11/08/50 Church of St John

GV I

Church. 1818-23. Possibly by CR Cockerell or designed by its builder, William Woods. Stucco. Slated roof. Classical style. EXTERIOR: 5-bay aisled nave. Symmetrical west front with slightly projecting central pedimented bay having pilasters at angles and flanked by small wings with blind windows and parapets upswept towards the central pediment. Prostyle portico with penthouse roof and panel above inscribed "St. John's Downshire Hill"; architraved doorway with panelled double doors. Flanking the entrance, architraved round-arched windows to ground floor and architraved oculi above. Pediment with clock. Appearing above the pediment a rectangular bell cupola with columns at angles carrying entablature and round-arched louvred openings. INTERIOR: particularly fine, with panelled galleries on 3 sides having 2 orders of slim cast-iron columns with enriched capitals. Tunnel-vaulted roof with simple coffers. Distyle-in-antis Corinthian reredos with inscribed entablature and architraved and pedimented doorways in outer bays. East window above of Venetian type with pilastered architrave and patterned stained glass including the eagle of St John. North and south walls have segmental-arched windows with splayed soffits above and below galleries; rear of galleries has corresponding round-arched openings to allow light through. Box pews with umbrella stands on doors. HISTORICAL NOTE: built to serve the new middle-class surrounding development. In 1916 the freehold was bought by Leslie Wright who leased it to the congregation for a nominal rent. At his death he requested it should not be sold so long as there was a congregation to support it. St John's remains the only proprietary chapel in the diocese of London which is self-supporting.

Listing NGR: TQ2698285697