Church Of St John The Evangelist

The Church of St John the Evangelist, also known as St John the Evangelist, Baxtergate, is a parish church built between 1848 and 1850. It was designed by J B & W Atkinson of York and altered between 1904 and 1910 by Hicks & Charlewood of Newcastle. The church is constructed of dressed stone with ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with coped gables and finials.

The church is orientated north-south, and comprises a nave and chancel under a single roof, with side aisles and transepts. A small octagonal spire is located above the west transept. The north entrance front features two pointed arched doorways within moulded arches, supported by columns, with flanking narrow arches above. Above the doorways are three blind quatrefoils, and above them a five-light graduated lancet window with moulded arches and columns. Tall angle buttresses with gables topped with square pinnacles are at each corner. Recessed canted corner stair projections are located either side, each with a single lancet window on each face. The north side aisles have gables with mandala-shaped windows. The east and west side aisle fronts each have three pairs of tall lancets, with buttresses between, and a coped parapet above with a corbel table. The east transept has a shouldered arched doorway with a double lancet above, while the east chancel has a further double lancet. The west transept has a pointed arched doorway, accessible via seven steps, with a moulded arch and double columns. Above this are two short lancets with moulded arches and columns, and above those again a circular window flanked by tall angle buttresses and square piers topped with pinnacles. A set-back gable conceals an octagonal ashlar bell turret with a short spire. A pair of tall lancets are situated beyond this to the chancel. The south wall is blank, with an inserted mandala-shaped window.

Inside, the church features a five-and-a-half bay nave arcade with octagonal piers and moulded arches. Former side galleries have been transferred to the north end, circa 1904. The church retains original wooden pews. A wooden king post roof is present along with a wooden pulpit, altar, altar rail and an ashlar reredos containing a mosaic image of the Last Supper, inserted circa 1904 with blind arcading behind. Above the reredos is an elaborate fresco with gilding and a mandala-shaped window with stained glass.