Church Of St John

Church of St John, Trowbridge

A limestone ashlar church of Decorated Gothic Revival style, built 1852–54 and substantially altered in 1979. The original design is attributed to William H. Wilkins of Trowbridge, though the architect Charles E. Giles of Frome carried the plan through to completion after Wilkins's death before the church was finished. The building was largely funded by an anonymous gift, believed to come from Miss Waldron of Westcroft, Trowbridge, and was dedicated in September 1854. The schoolroom was added in 1856–57 and the vicarage by 1859. A new ecclesiastical parish was formed out of Holy Trinity in 1858.

The church is a modest structure without a tower, instead featuring a bellcote over the west gable. The plan comprises a four-bay nave with south porch, a two-bay chancel, and Victorian clay tiled roofs. The nave has a steeply pitched roof and a tall narrow west window of two lights with a sexfoil rose. Similar two-light windows are set between stepped buttresses along the sides. The chancel is slightly lower with a three-light Decorated east window. The interior originally formed a simple two-cell church with white painted walls and a steep open timbered roof.

In 1979, the church underwent substantial alteration by Terence Hopegood of Wyvern Partnership, Devizes. Large square transeptal additions of brown brick and bronzed glass with leaded roofs were constructed north and south of the crossing, covering the west bay of the chancel and the east bay of the nave. These replace the original small projection north of the chancel which had housed the vestry and organ. The transepts dominate the external appearance, their flat parapets and steeply sloped lead-faced rooflines showing no deference to the Victorian design or materials. The transepts contain offices and other facilities, and transformed the layout to a cruciform arrangement with seating in four blocks facing the altar positioned at the crossing.

The south porch has been converted to a small side chapel with clear glazed outer door. A new entrance was cut beneath the west window. Interior wall surfaces in the 1970s additions are of brown brick. The principal fixtures include an octagonal timber altar of 1979, formed as if from solid timber, and two mid-19th century painted metal Commandment boards on the chancel east wall. The church is furnished with plain pine bench-pews arranged in four blocks. The south porch functions as a Lady Chapel. Several windows contain patterned stained glass contemporary with the original building. The centre light of the east window depicts the Ascension, and a nave window forms a memorial to W.H. Wilkins dated 1854. The reordering increased seating capacity to 300, funded by the sale of the former schoolroom site for housing.