Church Heritage Record 622077

4-bay aisled nave with north-west and south-west porches and clerestory. Chancel with north and south transepts containing organ to north and lady Chapel to south. Vestries to south-east corner. Boiler room beneath chancel.

[Approximate] Nave 12m (39ft) wide x 25m (82ft) long, chancel 8m (26ft) wide x 11m (36ft) long, aisles 5m (16ft) wide.

A temporary tin church was built on the site 10 years before the current church in 1876-78, designed by architects Liverpool architects Aldridge and Deacon. The west end was completed by Deacon in 1897. The design bares resemblance with their church of St Dunstan, Wavertree built 1886-89. The new Buildings of England guide [Pevsner and Pollard] suggests a south-west tower may have been intended.

The school to the east of the church was built c.1886 but ceased use as a school in the 1990s when it became the church hall. It was used for a variety of activities, some earning a small income. The building was closed in 2009 on grounds that it was not fit for purpose.

There is some evidence that the church incurred damage during the Second World War, for example the north clerestory windows were blown out, hence their plain glazing, and the east window was replaced with a memorial window following damage. The church was reordered c.1975-79, introducing chairs at the east end of the nave and aisles, and seemingly a new floor in the chancel. The Lady Chapel was furnished in 1983.

The archaeological potential of the site is low. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it contains fairly mature trees along the west boundary.

St John’s is constructed in red rock-faced sandstone with smooth stone dressings around the windows and doors, and as continuous eaves around the aisles and nave roofs, as well as a continuous sill beneath the windows and as contrasting stone bands to the east elevation. Stone cross finials accent the apex of each gable.

The west front has the greatest prominence. Tall campanile-like structures rise either side of the gabled elevation terminating in pyramidal turrets on pierced square bases. Sandwiched between them are two long lancet windows set within deep surrounds. The composition gives the appearance of a Romanesque church. The upper-part of the west elevation recesses behind a pierced parapet. Behind it in the apex of the gable are three lancets. Rising beyond the façade is a tall, green, copper-faced flèche (with surmounting gold cockerel weather vane) with an open arched base supported upon a projection from the roof.  Overall the pointed accents of the west turrets, gable and flèche create a varied skyline and an interesting and dominant composition on approach.

At ground level, to the north, the west end of the north aisle is finished in smooth stone. A doorway is set back within three orders of moulding. The principle porch projects to the south side. Turrets rise either side of the gabled structure, reflecting the design of the principle west gable composition. Trefoil headed openings, like key-holes, pierce the gable above the door and the turrets too. The north and south aisles have shallow pitched lean-to roofs. A continuous sill runs beneath the aisle windows. Two-light lancets with a cinquefoil above, set within a pointed stone surround (plate tracery). The clerestory has three pointed lancets to each bay.

Another entrance, in the south-east corner, leads to the vestries and is accessed up seven steps. A chunky round chimney rises from the south gable. The east elevation has four square-headed lights. Rising above these extensions is the south gable of the south transept, from which a conical turret rises from the south-east corner. This has been described both as like a minaret [Lewis] and as Moorish [Pevsner]. North and south transepts have only a single lancet light to their north and south facing elevations.

The chancel roof is lower than the nave and the east wall has three pointed lancets of equal height.

The church is accessed via the south-west porch. Wood doors around each of the lobby areas (south-west, north-west and south-east) have decorative leaded glazing above them. The nave is a high open space with plastered and painted walls and exposed stone detailing for instance to the circular stone pillars, their carved foliate capitals and pointed arcades, a continuous stone sill above the arcade, window surrounds and chancel arch.

The floor is paved in red and black square tiles with iron grates to either side. Pine benches are fixed to a level woodblock floor. Remnants of umbrella stands are attached to some of the bench ends. Old heating pipes remain in situ at the back of the pews. Pew frontals stand at the front of the pews. A font is positioned in the centre at the west end with two lights above, and three lights above that. A painted banner on the wall behind it reads ‘Suffer little children’. Carpet has been laid over the tiles at the east end of the nave. An altar table has been positioned at the east end of the nave, with upholstered metal-framed chairs (each with a name and date from the 1970s) and rails around it introduced as part of the reordering in the 1970s.

The aisles have two-light windows with a cinquefoil to each bay, some contain stained glass. The lean-to roofs are painted dark red. The north aisle has to the west end a former lobby area used to store the flower arranging equipment. A children’s area is set up in the north–west corner. A remembrance area with flags and rails is positioned in the centre of the aisle. At the east end is an altar with chairs in front, and a curtain behind it, hiding a vestry area. Beyond that the north transept is screened by wood panelling (painted grained effect) and is largely taken up by the organ. The south aisle is arranged with tables and chairs. A door to the south-east accesses the vestries. Raised by two steps at the east end is the carpeted Lady Chapel positioned within the south transept. The space is painted blue and has blue upholstered chairs with an altar table to the west side.

The nave clerestory has three pointed lancets to each bay. Those on the north side are of modern plain glass, whilst those to the south are of leaded panes. The nave is lit by electric floodlights and by suspended lanterns in the aisles. Above the nave, the roof is composed of arch-braced queen struts, with alternate trusses resting on stone corbels between each trio of clerestory windows.

The chancel is raised by three steps. A sandstone chancel wall has black and gold ornamental ironwork and flowers on top, c.1880. Gates in the centre are kept open. It has a lower roof than the nave formed by a ribbed barrel vault. Oak choir stalls are positioned on wood platforms to the north and south. A terrazzo floor has been laid in the centre with carpet laid up the central aisle. The organ is set back beneath an arch to the north and the Lady Chapel is separated by a curtain within an arch to the south.

The Sanctuary is raised by a stone step and the altar by another two. The Sanctuary walls are oak panelled, and have an aumbry and sedilia set within the north and south walls.