Church of St John with All Saints

Church of St John with All Saints

Parish church built 1823-1824 by Francis Bedford. One of four churches in Lambeth designed in Greek revival style. The building was damaged during the Second World War and received a Festival of Britain interior in 1951 by T. F. Ford.

The church is constructed of stock brick with sandstone dressings. The spire and columns to the portico are in Portland Stone. The nave and chancel are combined beneath a pedimented portico at the west end, fronted by a three-tier tower that terminates in an obelisk.

The west front rises two storeys across five bays. The first-floor windows have square paterae to their surrounds and twentieth-century metal panes. The ground floor contains five doors, each fitted with six-panelled doors in similar surrounds. A massive stone pediment above carries a frieze decorated with eleven wreaths and is supported by six massive Portland Stone columns. The square tower above rises in three diminishing stages. A clock occupies the lowest stage. The stage above has round-headed louvred bell openings arranged in the Ionic order with antefixae at the corners. An open Doric stage follows, also with antefixae at the corners. A plinth surmounts the tower, decorated with anthemion design panels and antefixae, crowned by an obelisk with ball finial, copper cross, and anthemion panels. The sides of the church continue the frieze with wreaths. The first floor has six sashes with twentieth-century small-pane metal casements. The ground floor has cambered windows. A deep stone plinth runs around the base. Twentieth-century yellow-brick pavilions with stone pediments have been attached to each side. The east end displays a pediment with a circular window. A central tall east window is flanked by two further windows, with a central rectangular blank below and two cambered windows beneath.

Internally, several elements from the original 1823-1824 phase survive. The west gallery stands on four Doric columns (before war damage it originally extended on three sides). The mahogany organ case dates to 1824 and was made by J C Bishop. The clock and five rows of pews in the organ gallery are original. Two curved stone staircases within the west pediment remain intact. The font is an elaborate eighteenth-century marble example of non-shaped form with putti forming handles and a gadrooned cover. The reredos incorporates remains of the original marble altarpiece.

The remainder of the interior was remodelled by T. F. Ford in 1951 in Neo-Georgian style, employing an anthemion motif echoing the original interior. The ceiling comprises five panels with water-lily paterae. An anthemion frieze runs along the cornice above pilasters. Side windows are fitted with balconettes. The vestry and south-east chapel feature curved corners and anthemion motifs. Two unusual two-decker pulpits with flat canopies and curved steps are notable features. The most striking fittings of 1951 are an altar painting of the Adoration of the Shepherds and a panel above the east window depicting the Crucifixion, both by Hans Fiebusch.