Church of Saint John is a Grade I listed building in the North Yorkshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 October 1966. A High Victorian Gothic Church.

Church of Saint John

WRENN ID
grey-foundation-indigo
Grade
I
Local Planning Authority
North Yorkshire
Constituency
Thirsk and Malton MP: Kevin Hollinrake (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
10 October 1966
Type
Church
Address
Church of Saint John, Main Street, Howsham
OS grid reference
SE 737 628
Coordinates
54.05674, -0.87502
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Church of Saint John is a Grade I listed church built between 1859 and 1860 by architect G E Street for Hannah Cholmley. It is constructed of gritstone ashlar with bands of sandstone and features a plain tile roof. The design showcases High Victorian Gothic architecture, consisting of a narthex, a north-west tower, a three-bay nave, and an apsidal chancel with a vestry to the north.

The tower is three stages high, with a plinth, a string course, and a lancet window beneath a quatrefoil at the first stage. The string course supports a gabled second stage, while the octagonal belfry has openings separated by alternating grey marble and orange stone columns, with the grey columns adorned with ornate Italianate capitals. The tower is topped with a spirelet that includes lucarnes.

To the right of the tower is a lean-to porch supported by three columns with Italianate capitals, which carry a massive dosseret and hipped roof. The west door features a two-centred arch on responds with foliate capitals, and there is a rose window in the gable end. The tower also has a square-headed door.

The nave contains two-light plate-traceried windows, while the chancel has a three-light window on the south side and three two-light windows at the east end, all featuring plate tracery. Inside, there is a font and pulpit made of inlaid polychrome marble, a cinquefoil cusped chancel arch, an aumbry, and double sedilia. The reredos is elaborately inlaid with three panels by Earp, and the chancel has a painted ceiling. Stained glass windows were created by Clayton and Bell.

Local climate

Church of Saint John receives an average of 790 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 59% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 85% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 46 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 87% of listed buildings. Of these, 25 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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