St John's College is one of the recognised colleges of

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

. The college was established in 1909 as a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

theological college and became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. The college consists of John's Hall for students studying on any university course and Cranmer Hall (with its own master or warden), an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

theological college A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...

in the

open evangelical An open evangelical attempts to uphold Evangelicalism, evangelical doctrines, morality, and spirituality, while also being Inclusive theology, inclusive of others. It is a term which is commonly used in the United Kingdom in reference to both indivi ...

tradition. All part time and distance learning postgraduate students reading for theology are automatically assigned to St John's. Started as a

men's college In higher education, a men's college is an undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institution whose students are exclusively men. Many are liberal arts colleges. Around the world In North America United States In the United States, co-educ ...

, it was the first Church of England theological college to train men and women together, where it subsequently became mixed. St John's is Durham's second smallest college only to St Chad's. Being an independent college, St John's is financially and constitutionally independent of the university and has a greater degree of administrative independence than the other, "maintained", colleges. However, to maintain its status as a recognised college, the university council must approve the appointment of its principal and be notified of changes to its constitution. The college has a reputation for being religious due to it being the only college in Durham authorised to train people to priesthood. The college is also strictly traditional and Johnians hold their own matriculation ceremony in their 12th-century chapel, in addition to the university wide matriculation at the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

; members of St John's are also required to wear

gowns A gown, from the Latin word, ''gunna'', is a usually loose outer garment from knee-to-full-length worn by people of both sexes in Europe from the Early Middle Ages to the 17th century, and continuing today in certain professions; later, the t ...

for weekly formal dinners, and still say

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. St John's is the only college in Durham to not charge its students to attend formals. Students also get £75 credit for laundry, the only college to offer this. The college chapel (Church of St Mary the Less) is also the final resting place of Dame Elizabeth Bowes. She had ten children and

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

was descended from her third son,

George Bowes George Bowes may refer to: *George Bowes (MP for County Durham) (1701–1760, English member of parliament (MP) *George Bowes (soldier) (1527–1580), English military commander, MP for Morpeth and Knaresborough *George Bowes (rebel) (1517–1545), ...

History

Founded as a

theological college in 1909, the members of the initial College Council were: The college became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. In 1958 it was divided into Cranmer Hall theological college and the non-theological John's Hall. The halls have always held to a broadly evangelical tradition. In 1973 St John's became the first Durham undergraduate male college to admit female students, though Cranmer Hall had been admitting women for theological education since 1966. St John's was the first Church of England theological college to have both a lay person and a woman as principal ( Ruth Etchells). The college has an

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a ...

(a right to appoint clergy to a parish) over four

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

s: Chester-le-Street and

Stranton Stranton is an area of south Hartlepool in the borough of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It is a former village and parish. The ancient parish boundaries were the North Sea to the east, Greatham Creek, an arm of the Tees, to the south, the ...

in the

Diocese of Durham The diocese of Durham is a diocese of the Church of England in North East England. The boundaries of the diocese are the historic boundaries of County Durham, meaning it includes the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne and contemporary ...

and jointly with other avowees the benefices of Doddington with Benwick and Wimblington, and St Mark with St Paul, Darlington. Previously, the patron had complete power to appoint the new priest, however that power is now exercised jointly with the local bishop and parish.

Buildings

The college is formed from a number of Georgian houses on

the Bailey The Bailey is a historic area in the centre of the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It consists of two streets, North Bailey and South Bailey. It is on a peninsula within a sharp meander along the River Wear, formed by an isostatic adjus ...

between

Durham Cathedral Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...

and the

River Wear The River Wear (, ) in Northern England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers. The Wear wends in a steep valley t ...

. The main house is Haughton House, named after

Haughton Castle Haughton Castle is a privately owned country mansion and Grade I listed building, situated to the north of the village of Humshaugh on the west bank of the River Tyne, North Tyne. It is around north of the market town of Hexham, Northumberland. ...

in Northumberland, the seat of the family of William Donaldson Cruddas who were early benefactors of the college and other Christian churches and charities in the north east of England. The houses which make up Cranmer Hall were once owned by the

Bowes-Lyon The Bowes-Lyon family descends from George Bowes of Gibside and Streatlam Castle ''(1701–1760)'', a County Durham landowner and politician, through John Bowes, 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, chief of the Clan Lyon. Following the marr ...

family (the late

's family). The majority of the college buildings are

grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

, with parts of 3 and 4 South Bailey grade II* listed. Before coming into the possession of St John's, Linton House, no 1 South Bailey, was the main property of St. Chad's College. It is said to have much earlier origins, with the frontage seen today added to an existing timber-framed building after the

Restoration of the Monarchy Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state. This may refer to: *Conservation and restoration of cultural property **Audio restoration **Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property **Film restoration ** Image ...

in 1660. No 2 South Bailey has distinctive circular "blind" windows which were revealed during a re-rendering in the 1980s. This enabled Martin Roberts, then Durham City's conservation officer, to date the building precisely to the late 17th century. The illogically interconnected nature of many of the college buildings regularly results in visitors becoming lost. The similarly unusual nature of college stairways, one of which disappears into a solid wall, adds an element of Escher to the architecture. The college chapel, dedicated to St Mary and known as St Mary the Less, is of

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

origin and was rebuilt in the 1840s and re-ordered at the turn of the 21st century. It became the college chapel in 1919, before which it had been the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

of the South Bailey. It is still a

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...

in the

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of St Oswald. The chapel is also used by the local Greek Orthodox congregation.

Student life

Owing to its small population, Johnians tend to know one another regardless of year, course or accommodation (all of the first years and the majority of finalists live in college; the second years are required to find their own accommodation). Elected Freshers Reps are generally well known throughout college thereby giving new Johnians more opportunities for one-on-one interaction, providing a more solid foundation in their first few weeks than in the larger colleges. St John's participates in a number of sports such as cross country running, mixed lacrosse, rowing, men's football, badminton, hockey and rugby among others. St John's College Boat Club was founded in 1910 and operates out of two boathouses on the

. The college's theatre company, Bailey Theatre Company, is ratified by

Durham Student Theatre The Assembly Rooms Theatre, formally named the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre after Sir Thomas Allen, is a historic 175-seat proscenium arch theatre located in the centre of Durham. It is home to 33 Durham Student Theatre companies as ...

and is open to any member of the university. Their 2019 performance of

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...

's "Family Circles", produced in collaboration with St. Chad's, featured a cast and production team formed entirely from first-year students. Other performances include

Sarah Kane Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological ...

's ''

4.48 Psychosis ''4.48 Psychosis'' is the final play by British playwright Sarah Kane. It was her last work, first staged at the Royal Court Theatre, Royal Court's Jerwood Theatre Upstairs on 23 June 2000, directed by James Macdonald (director), James Macdonald ...

'' in the Epiphany term of 2009 and

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

's ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' in the Michaelmas term of 2008. The company also puts on an annual Shakespeare performance after university examinations in the summer. This traditionally involves an outdoor performance on Library Lawn, though the college's newly refurbished amphitheatre was used in 2019. In 2008, the society's performance of

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe ( ; Baptism, baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the English Renaissance theatre, Eli ...

's '' Doctor Faustus'' won the Durham Student Theatre Award for Best Play. John's Music Society, founded in 2012, is the governing body for music within college. It regularly puts on large-scale concerts and helps students set up new musical ensembles as well as organising socials and concert trips for its members. The society is also responsible for organising popular open mic nights and the annual JMS barbecue.

List of principals

* 1909–1911 Sidney Nowell Rostron * 1911–1919

Dawson Dawson-Walker Dawson Dawson-Walker (20 December 1868 – 28 January 1934) was a British Church of England clergyman, classicist, theologian and academic. From 1911 to 1919, he was Principal of St John's College, Durham. From 1919 to his death in 1934, he was ...

* 1919–1945 Charles Steel Wallis * 1945–1953 Ronald Williams * 1954–1955 G.J. Cumming (acting) * 1954–1969 Jim P. Hickinbotham * 1970–1978 John C. P. Cockerton * 1978–1988 Ruth Etchells * 1988–1992

Anthony Thiselton Anthony Charles Thiselton (13 July 1937 – 7 February 2023) was an English Anglican priest, theologian, and academic. He wrote a number of books and articles on a range of topics in Christian theology, biblical studies, and the philosophy of ...

* 1992–1999

David V. Day David Vivian Day (born 11 August 1936) is a retired British theologian, school teacher, academic, and Anglican priest. From 1992 to 1999, he was Principal of St John's College, Durham. Early life and education Day was born on 11 August 1936 to F ...

* 1999–2006

Stephen Sykes Stephen Whitefield Sykes (1 August 1939 – 24 September 2014) was a Church of England bishop and academic specialising in divinity. He was Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at Durham University from 1974 to 1985, and Regius Professor of Divini ...

* 2006–2023 David Wilkinson * 2023–present Jolyon Mitchell

Notable alumni

File:Douglas Davies.jpg,

Douglas Davies Douglas James Davies, (born 11 February 1947) is a Welsh Anglican theologian, anthropologist, religious leader and academic, specialising in the history, theology, and sociology of death. He is Professor in the Study of Religion at the Unive ...

, academic File:Nick Ramsay 2011.jpg,

Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay (born 10 June 1975) is a British politician who served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Monmouth (Senedd constituency), Monmouth from 2007 to 2021. Originally a member of the Welsh Conservatives, he served as Shadow Minister of F ...

, conservative politician File:Mobilising Faith Communities in Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict (15862086073).jpg,

Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is an Anglican bishop who served as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 2013 to 2025. After an 11-year career in the oil industry, Welby trained for ordination at St John ...

, the former

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

File:SteveCroft Consecration.JPG, Steven Croft, bishop of Oxford

John's Hall

Richard Adams Richard George Adams (10 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist. He is best known for his debut novel ''Watership Down'' which achieved international acclaim. His other works included ''Maia'', '' Shardik'' and '' The Plague Do ...

, pioneer of fair trade and founder of

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* Norman Aspin – High Commissioner to Malta * James Bell,

Bishop of Knaresborough The Bishop of Ripon is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. The bishop is one of the area bishops of the Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York. The area bishop of Ripon has oversight o ...

, area Bishop for Ripon *

Richard Blackburn Sir Richard Arthur Blackburn (26 July 1918 – 1 October 1987) was an Australian judge, prominent legal academic and military officer. He became a judge of three courts in Australia, and eventually became chief justice of the Australian Capit ...

Bishop of Warrington __NOTOC__ The Bishop of Warrington is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the town of Warrington in Cheshire; the current b ...

* Mark Bryant,

Bishop of Jarrow The Bishop of Jarrow is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Durham, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the former Anglo Saxon monastery in the town of Jarrow in Tyne ...

, theologian *

Gavin Hewitt Gavin Hewitt (born 1951, Penge, London) is a British journalist and presenter, currently BBC News's News Editor. He was formerly its Europe Editor, a post he held between September 2009 to the autumn of 2014, and became News Editor to cover a wid ...

- special correspondent for

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

Ben Howlett Ben Howlett may refer to: * Ben Howlett (footballer), Australian rules footballer * Ben Howlett (politician), British politician * Ben Howlett (basketball), American college basketball coach {{hndis, Howlett, Ben ...

- Conservative MP for

Bath (UK Parliament constituency) Bath is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency in the British House of Commons, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom represented since 2017 by Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal De ...

2015 - 2017 *

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- Vice President of the

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Alice Oseman Alice May Oseman (born 16 October 1994) is an English author and illustrator of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17 and published her first novel ''Solitaire'' in 2014. Her novels include ''Radio Silence'', ''I Was ...

- author ('' Heartstopper'', ''Solitaire'') *

Jack Plumley Jack Martin Plumley, (2 September 1910 – 2 July 1999) was a British Anglican priest, Egyptologist and academic. Having served as a priest in the Church of England, he was Sir Herbert Thompson Professor of Egyptology at the University of Cambrid ...

Sir Herbert Thompson Professor of Egyptology The Sir Henry Francis Herbert Thompson, Herbert Thompson Professor of Egyptology represents the chair of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge, England. *Stephen Glanville, 1946–1956 *Jack Plumley, 1957–1977 *John D. Ray, John Ray, 2005–2 ...

, Cambridge; trained for ordination at St John's college before the theological college was split off into Cranmer Hall *

MS, Conservative former Senedd Member for

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

and Shadow Finance Minister * Rachel Schofield – journalist and

presenter

Cranmer Hall

Both

Michael Beasley Michael Paul Beasley Jr. (born January 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one ...

, Bishop of Bath and Wells *

Chris Edmondson Christopher Paul Edmondson (born 25 June 1950) is a British Anglican retired bishop. He was the Bishop of Bolton, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Manchester, from 2008 to 2016. He is presently an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese o ...

, former Bishop of Bolton * Robert Paterson, former

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Geoff Pearson Geoffrey Seagrave Pearson (born 18 July 1951) is a British Anglican bishop, a retired Bishop of Lancaster in the Church of England Diocese of Blackburn. Early life and education Pearson was educated at St John's College, Durham, gaining his Ba ...

, Bishop of Lancaster *

John Saxbee John Charles Saxbee (born 7 January 1946) is a retired Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England between 2001/2 and 31 January 2011.

, former

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* Richard Turnbull, Principal of

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, former

Gallery

File:St Johns Durham.JPG, Haughton House File:Durham 08.jpg, St. Mary the Less college chapel File:St. John's College, Durham - geograph.org.uk - 938906.jpg, St. John's viewed from the South Bailey File:Durham Regatta Womens Eights.jpg, St. John's College Boat Club racing

History

Buildings

Student life

List of principals

Notable alumni

John's Hall

Cranmer Hall

Both

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links