Church Heritage Record 631286

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Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentForumAudit

Chatham: St John the Divine

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Chatham: St John the Divine
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

631286
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Rochester
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Rochester
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

St. Mary and St. John, Chatham

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade II* Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (data verified 14 Nov 2024)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Post Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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Visiting and Facilities

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The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-on-Tap-220267905449795/

Sources and Further Information

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Lisa Brooks (23.03.19) Practical Completion certificate [Digital Archive/Document]
Practical Completion certificate
Church of England (2021) A Church Near You https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/20022/ [Digital Archive/Index]
View information on worship and access at this church
ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~114689~117196 [Archive/Graphic material]

Ground plan

ICBS File Number - 06602

Coverage - 1867-1869

Created by HILLS, Gordon Macdonald: b. 1826 - d. 1895 of London

ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~114699~117197 [Archive/Graphic material]

Gallery

ICBS File Number - 06602

Coverage - 1867-1869

Created by HILLS, Gordon Macdonald: b. 1826 - d. 1895 of London

Martyn Saunders (November 2022) Photo of completed works [Digital Archive/Document]
Photo of completed works
Martyn Saunders (Nov 2022) St John's Chatham - completed works to window [Digital Archive/Document]
St John's Chatham  - completed works to window
Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 2 Bells [Archive/Index]
2 Bells

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 756 678

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Medway (B)

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

The church is on the west side of the centre of Chatham but has since 1987 been cut off from it by a very busy one way traffic scheme which entailed the widening of Railway Street and the formation of a new corner. This has reduced what was always a tight churchyard on both the south and east sides. To the west of the church is a narrow area of tarmac and on the south is a raised footpath with a retaining wall to Railway Street, which slopes down to the east. The east end of the church stands above a heavily embanked garden that is open to the street and on the north side there is a lane adjacent to the north wall. There are no burials in the churchyard.

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

The church consists of chancel, north and south vestries, nave with north and south galleries, west entrance flanked by stair halls and west tower. 

Dimensions

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Chancel 2.2m by 6.7m, nave 27.9m by 19m, width of galleries 5m, entrance 3.4m by 3.9m, stair halls 3.4m by 4.9m.

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

725 m2

Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

In December 1888 a public meeting under the chairmanship of the Archdeacon of Rochester resolved to start a subscription to build an additional place of public worship in the Parish of Chatham and also to apply for funds from the Commissioners of the Church Building Act 1888. The church was designed by Robert Smirke and built in 1819-21 by a firm called Siddon & Sons. The cost of the work was ,14,157 of which the Commissioners contributed ,13,797. A short chancel designed by G. M. Hills was added in 1863 and the church was reordered to give space for a choir in the nave. The present vestries were built in 1905.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

The exterior is heavy and uncompromising with the minimum of detail. The side elevations are of seven bays with square windows below and taller round headed windows above. The south elevation has a central doorway and a shallow porch, an addition of 1905. The end bays are slightly forward of the rest and the elevations are famed horizontally by a simple plinth and entablature with three plain platbands between. Set back at the west is an entrance pavilion that is treated in the same way as the sides. It is one bay deep and three bays wide. The central bay is set forward slightly and the main entrance has a moulded architrave and a flat hood on brackets. The side doors are smaller and with out hoods. Above the central bay is a square tower. The pedestal is plain except for clock faces on the south and west sides. The upper stage has round headed openings framed by twin pilasters and an entablature all in the simplest Tuscan Doric style. At the east is the shallow chancel added in 1863. It has a pediment and entablature carried on twin pilasters. The east window is Venetian in form but with additional circular lights set in a radial pattern.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Who:
Robert Smirke
Role:
Architect
From:
01 Jan 1819
To:
31 Dec 1821
Contribution:
designed church

Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
CHANCEL (19th century)
GALLERY (ECCLESIASTICAL) (19th century)
GALLERY (ECCLESIASTICAL) (19th century)
NAVE (19th century)
TOWER (COMPONENT) (19th century)
VESTRY (19th century)
VESTRY (19th century)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
BRICK (19th century)
IRON (19th century)
KENTISH RAGSTONE (19th century)
LIMESTONE (19th century)
SLATE (19th century)
WOOD (19th century)

Interior Image

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Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The interior of the church remains very much as it was after the reordering of 1864 when the sanctuary was added, a choir introduced at the east, the body of the church furnished with new pews and the gallery cut back at the west. Much of the original interior does however remain. The side elevations and the arrangement at the west with a central entrance lobby flanked by stair-halls are unaltered. As are the north and south sides of the gallery complete with fluted Doric columns. Other additions are the organ of 1877, and the screens on the east ends of the gallery, the pulpit and the present vestries under the gallery and flanking the choir all of 1905-6.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (19th century)
BELL (1 of 2)
BELL (2 of 2)
CROSS (19th century)
FONT (COMPONENT) (19th century)
INSCRIBED OBJECT (19th century)
LECTERN (19th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (19th century)
PEW (COMPONENT) (19th century)
PLAQUE (COMPONENT) (19th / 20th century)
PULPIT (20th century)
RAIL (19th century)
REREDOS (19th century)
STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (19th / 20th century)
STALL (19th century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

Work in progress - can you help?

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 756 678

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

Work in progress - can you help?

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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The churchyard is closed for burial.
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The date of the burial closure order is 11/12/1854.
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The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
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Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
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Work in progress - can you help?
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
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Community Significance Level:
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Community Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?

Church Renewables

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Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
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No
Bio Mass:
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No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 0
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 0
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

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If any of the following species have been seen close to the Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Joseph EldersAdded image of the interior of the buildingTue 11 Jun 2019 16:15:15
Joseph EldersAdded image of the exterior of the buildingTue 11 Jun 2019 16:12:51
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 11:19:54
Anna CampenModified interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:22:23
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:21:49
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:21:22
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:20:47
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:20:24
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:19:51
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 08 Sep 2017 10:19:31
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