Church Of St John Northgate

Church of St John Northgate, Gloucester

This is a church with a tower and spire dating from around 1450, but substantially rebuilt between 1732 and 1734. The main body was designed and built by Edward and Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden in a provincial classical style. The church was restored and altered in 1880 and 1882. The spire was truncated in 1910 and the top of the spire was rebuilt in the former churchyard, now St Lucy's Garden, on the north side of St John's Lane. The east front was refaced in 1991 and the roof renewed in 1975.

The tower and spire are constructed of squared stone partially coursed. The body of the church is built of ashlar on brick with a slate, hipped mansard roof.

The church follows a simple rectangular plan with a nave and aisles arranged in five bays, a single-bay chancel, a lobby entry from Northgate Street on the south side, and a bay housing the organ on the north side. The tower projects from the west end on the south side at a slight angle to the axis of the church.

The east front facing Northgate Street displays a symmetrical tripartite composition with a slight central projection. It is framed by Roman Doric pilasters set on a high podium base with offset plinth and moulded capping, supporting an entablature with metopes and a crowning pediment. Above an applied balustrade with turned half-balusters between blank panels stands a large Venetian window framed by Ionic pilasters with entablatures above the sidelights and a moulded arch with projecting keystone over the central light. The walls flanking the central projection have quoin strips at the outer angles, cornices at eaves level on the return side walls, and parapets. Each parapet displays an applied blank panel with capping cornices at the level of the central crowning cornice. A semicircular arched doorway serves the lobby entry on the left with a matching false doorway on the right; both feature moulded architrave frames, imposts and raised keystones. Above each doorway are fielded eight-panel double doors with a glazed fanlight in the arch above the left-hand doors and fielded panels in the arch above the right-hand door. Large circular windows with moulded architrave frames sit above each doorway. Stone vases with knopped lids stand at the angles of the crowning pediment and above the quoin strips at the outer angles. A cross crowns the pediment apex.

Both side walls feature cornices at eaves level and semicircular arched windows with projecting keystones. These windows were enlarged in 1882.

The west tower comprises three stages defined by moulded string courses, with diagonal buttresses featuring offsets to the lower and middle stages. A 20th-century crenellated parapet with moulded capping tops the tower. Two-light windows on each face in the middle stage and similar belfry windows in the upper stage all display Perpendicular tracery. Set within the parapet is an octagonal, truncated spire with ribbed arrises and two-light lucarnes on the cardinal faces. The apex is finished with an ogee lead capping and ball finial.

The interior nave of five bays features colonnades of four Roman Doric columns without entablatures dividing the nave from the aisles. At the west end stands a 14th-century respond from the former medieval north arcade. A plaster barrel vault covers the nave while flat plaster ceilings span the aisles. Fielded panel dado of 1734 appears on the north, south and west walls.

Fittings include a medieval font retained from the earlier church but recut, an early 18th-century carved oak reredos, and a communion table and rails given to the church in 1734 by Bridget Price. Part of the original three-decker pulpit from which George Whitefield and John Wesley preached is preserved. Pews date from 1874 and choir stalls from 1882. Two 18th-century wrought-iron mace rests are also present.

The stained glass includes the east window of 1880 by Camm Brothers of Smethwick, created as a memorial to Robert Raikes and Reverend Thomas Stock on the centenary of the foundation of the Sunday School movement in Gloucester.

Monuments include many floor slabs from the medieval church. On the north wall of the nave are two brasses of figures from a memorial to John Semys (died 1540) and his two wives. The north wall of the chancel displays a Baroque gilded monument effigy to Thomas Price, Master of the Horse to Charles I and twice Mayor of Gloucester (died 1678), with an upright upper half effigy. On the south wall is a monument with a small recumbent effigy to his daughter, Dorothy Price (died 1693). Both monuments are by Reeve of Gloucester. The west wall includes several monuments brought from St Michael's Church, Eastgate Street when that church's body was demolished in 1953, including a cartouche to John Hyett, Alderman and twice Mayor of Gloucester (died 1711).

The church was formerly the parish church of St John the Baptist. From 1972, by formal agreement, the church has been shared between the congregation of the demolished Northgate Methodist Church and the Church of England.

The east front closely resembles that of St Swithun's, Worcester, another church in classical style also designed by the Woodwards.