Church Of St John The Baptist (St John'S Wood Chapel)

TQ 2782 NW CITY OF WESTMINSTER ST JOHN'S WOOD ROAD, 23/5 NW8 Church of St John the Baptist (St John's Wood 10.9.54 Chapel) G.V. II* Church. 1813-14 by Thomas Hardwick built as chapel of ease for the developing Portman and Eyre Estates in this area. Portland stone front and stone dressed stock brick sides; leaded roof. Simple rectangle with narrower, lower, shallow chancel. Chaste neo-classical chapel design dressed with tetrastyle portico surmounted by columned cupola-bellcote.2 storeys (for galleries). 5 bay south (ritual west) front. Central corniced doorway flanked by niches; outer bays with plain square headed doorways (to gallery stairs) and semicircular arches. 1st floor windows recessed for 1 order. Plinths, sill band crowning cornice and parapet. The centre screened by Ionic giant portico with entablature and pediment containing clock face. The small stone domed cupola rises from octagonal case and with detached pairs of Doric columns carrying breaks in the entablature on the diagonals. Elegant original interior with Tuscan columns carrying gallery above which "Tower of the Winds" columns rise to slightly curved ceiling; white painted box pews and good collection of early C19 Grecian wall monuments; etc. St John's was designed at the same time as Hardwick's initial chapel of ease scheme at St Mary's, Marylebone Road q.v. which it closely resembled before the elaboration of the latter's final form.

Listing NGR: TQ2714382886