The Church of St John the Apostle and Evangelist is a Church of England parish church located in Sutton Road, close to the centre of the busy market town of
Watford in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
. It is within the
Diocese of St Albans and has throughout its history been one of the leading
Anglo-Catholic churches in the southeast of
England. Today it is part of the
Richborough Episcopal Area, and lies in the pastoral and sacramental care of the Provincial Episcopal Visitor.
History
St John's Church, Watford, dates back to 1873. The ancient parish church of St Mary's was
extensively restored in 1871, and during this time a temporary
tin church
A tin tabernacle, also known as an iron church, is a type of prefabricated ecclesiastical building made from corrugated galvanised iron. They were developed in the mid-19th century initially in the United Kingdom. Corrugated iron was first us ...
was erected in the
churchyard
In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...
. With St Mary's re-opened, the tin church was re-erected on some donated ground in Sotheron Road (now Sutton Road). On 23 November 1873 St John's Church began.
The temporary building, with seating for 450, attracted a growing number of people, and was considered very '
High Church' for its day - many of the things that we associate with
catholic worship were yet to come, however. The roof of the Tin Church was unfortunately not waterproof, and it was quickly apparent inside when it was raining outside! The idea of a permanent building was raised, and there followed a period of great activity to raise the necessary money. Many people were most generous - more land was given, plans were drawn up and approved and eventually the foundation stone was laid on 17 July 1891. Two years and two days later, on 19 July 1893, John Wogan Festing,
Lord Bishop
"Lord Bishop" is a traditional form of address used for bishops since the Middle Ages, an era when bishops occupied the feudal rank of 'lord' by virtue of their office. Today it is sometimes still used in formal circumstances for any diocesan bis ...
of
St Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
, dedicated the fine building. It cost £11,000 to build - a huge sum in those days. In May 1904 St John's became a parish church in its own right.
The Church was designed by the architect Eley Emlyn White. It has been a Grade II Listed Building since 1983.
Restoration work has been undertaken in the latter half of the twentieth century. The
chancel and
sanctuary were restored/cleaned in 1961. The
nave and
aisles were cleaned and redecorated in memory of the first
vicar Canon James who died in 1966. Outside stonework was restored/cleaned in 1973 for the church's
centenary
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at ...
.
Interior
Image:stjohnswatford_interior.jpg
Image:stjohnswatford_altar.jpg
Image:stjohnswatford_organ.jpg
St John's has a fine
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
built in 1911 by the
London firm of
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. The
rood screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
was designed by
Sir John Ninian Comper (1864–1960). Many other gifts of fine plate silver,
vestments,
copes,
stations of the cross
The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
,
crib figures, statue of
The Madonna, glass, and woodwork have been received over the years.
Regular events and services
The church has an active schedule of services and community events, including:
;Services
* Parish Mass (Holy Communion) with Hymns (Every Sunday, 10:30-11;45)
* Holy Communion (Every Friday, 10:00)
;;Children's services
*
Messy Church (First Saturday of the month, 11:00-13:00)
* Breakfast Club and Sunday School (Every Sunday, 09:15-11:45)
;Social events
* Community Coffee Morning (Every Wednesday, 10:30-12:30)
* Coffee and Art (Every Friday, 10:30)
St John's Primary School
The church is working closely with the
Department for Education and the
Diocese of St Albans to establish a new church Primary School in the parish. Official approval was granted by the
Department for Education in 2014, with the school scheduled to open for its first year's intake in September 2016. More information can be found on the school campaign's Facebook page.
[http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Johns-Primary-School-Watford/1387088274863287?ref=stream ]
Vicars
* The Rev. J.H. White – 1873-1898
* The Rt. Rev. John M. Steward - 1898-1904
* The Rev. Canon R.H.L. James -1904-1954
* The Rev.
Stanley J. Forrest - 1954-1961
* The Rev. R. Salter - 1962-1998
* The Rev. J. Cope - 1999-2007
* The Rev. E. Lewis - 2008-2010
* The Rev. D.E. Stevenson - 2011–present
References
External links
St John’s Church, WatfordSt John's Church on FacebookSt John's Messy Church on FacebookTaizé Prayer in Watford on FacebookSt John's Primary School on FacebookChurch of EnglandDiocese of St AlbansRichborough Episcopal AreaWatford Borough CouncilHertfordshire County Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John's Church, Watford
Buildings and structures in Watford
Watford, St John's Church
Grade II listed churches in Hertfordshire
Watford
History of Watford