St John's Church, Woking

In the early nineteenth century a settlement was beginning to form around the location of present-day St Johns, with the area home to a large brick-making and nursery industry. A reminder of the brick-making remains today in the form of a 'Kiln Bridge' over the Basingstoke Canal. The canal was also influential in the growth of the community. Due to the inconvenience of travelling to the nearest parish church (St Peter's in Old Woking), the vicar of St Peter's, Rev'd Charles Bowles, amassed £1,500 in order to serve the western end of the parish of St Peter's, i.e. the new community now known as 'St Johns'.^[2]

Sir George Gilbert Scott, the Victorian architect who found fame through constructions such as St Pancras railway station, was commissioned by Bowles to design a simple church for the local community. A lithograph of Gilbert's plans remains in St John's Church today. On 24 June 1842, the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester. The church is of a Gothic Revival Style, built with stone similar to that used to build churches in the thirteenth-century.^[3]

St John's stands in the conservative evangelical tradition of the Church of England, and the parochial church council (PCC) have endorsed GAFCON's Jerusalem Declaration.^[4]

Source:^[2]

St John's Church itself has had many additions to it since its consecration. The original simple church was without aisles. However, between 1879 and 1883 aisles and vestries were adding, doubling the size of the church. It was in 1884 that the church and surrounding area achieved parish status.

In 1904, the pitch pine balcony that was in place was removed, due to lack of use. Furthermore, the original organ was built by Henry Bryceson. Moreover, the reredos, Holy Table and oak panelling were made in Exeter and were installed in 1915, followed by the installation of a choir vestry, which was added in the 1930s. The organs was rebuilt in 1948.^[5] The baptism pool in the chancel, oak font, communion table and lectern was added in the modernisation of the church in 2002.

The church hall was built in 1956 and was refitted as a Youth Centre in 1992. This church hall was followed by a series of extensions in the 1970s, with a lounge, narthex and offices being added. These were not the final work to the church, however, and in 2002, the lighting and heating was improved and the flooring and seating replaced. Furthermore, the welcome area of the church has been enlarged, forcing the porch to be rebuilt to accommodate.

In the vicinity of the church, a number of structures were constructed as a result of the church's presence, e.g. a vicarage. Built to serve the vicars of St Peter's, a vicarage was built nearby to the church under Rev'd Charles Bowles. The building remains, however it was replaced with the current newer built in 1952. Furthermore, the Bowles family once again contributed to the local community, through the construction of a local school. Used until the 1970s, it was used for Sunday school and youth school. Furthermore, it was also used as the local Scout hut.