St John the Divine, Richmond
Church in London, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St John the Divine, Richmond, in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, is a Grade II listed church[1] on Kew Road, in Richmond, London, near Richmond railway station. Built in 1836, and a parish in its own right since 1838, it was designed by Lewis Vulliamy[2] in the Early Gothic Revival architectural style.[1]
| St John the Divine, Richmond | |
|---|---|
St John the Divine from St John's Road, Richmond | |
 St John the Divine, Richmond | |
| 51.4642°N 0.3003°W | |
| Location | Richmond, London |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1831 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Lewis Vulliamy (original building); Arthur Grove (later additions and church hall) |
| Style | Early Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1836 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Southwark |
| Archdeaconry | Wandsworth |
| Deanery | Richmond & Barnes |
| Parish | St John the Divine, Richmond |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Justin Welby |
| Bishop | Christopher Chessun |
| Vicar | The Reverend Joe Moore |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Church of St John the Divine |
| Designated | 10 January 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1194182 |
Since 1996 St John the Divine has been part of the Richmond Team Ministry, which also includes the churches of St Mary Magdalene and St Matthias.[3][4]
History
Richmond grew rapidly during the 18th and early 19th centuries.[5] By the 1820s, Richmond's original parish church, St Mary Magdalene, was too small.[6][7] Having recognised the need for another chapel, the vestry commissioned new construction by 1831. The new building, St John the Divine, was completed in 1836.[8][7] It was built from 1831 to 1836 on a site provided by local resident and landowner, William Selwyn (1775–1855); the architect was Lewis Vulliamy. Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner criticise Vulliamy's "craziest W spire and senseless flying buttresses from the W porches up to the nave" but describe Grove's east end (added in the early 20th century) as "a fine composition".[2]
In 1838 it became a parish church in its own right.[9]
Organ
The organ, built by Beale and Thynne, was dedicated in December 1896.[10] Described as "a virtually unaltered work of Victorian artistry", it has been fully restored.[11]
20th-century additions
A chancel, south chapel and vestries were added in 1904–1905; they were designed by Arthur Grove.[2] In 1908, Nathaniel Westlake painted the sanctuary ceiling with illustrations of the Book of Revelation, chapter 14, and created the triptych behind the altar.[2][10] Westlake also painted the Stations of the Cross, which are now missing; they were replaced between 1955 and 1970 by reliefs in Nabresina stone carved by Freda Skinner.[2] Eric Gill carved the stonework on the triptych and over the sacristy door.[10][12] The Calvary sculpture on the east end facing St John's Road was carved by Richard Garbe.[13]
The church hall, in brick, was built in 1911.[2]
In 1980–1981 adaptations were made to the church to enable it be used occasionally for concerts and to provide a meeting room, toilet facilities and residential accommodation.[14] The architects were Dry Hastwell Butlin Bicknell,[2] a partnership of David Dry (1934–2011), Vince Hastwell, George Butlin and Roger Bicknell.[15]
21st-century restoration
The reredos in the Lady Chapel was restored in the early 21st century by Howell and Bellion.[16]
People
Vigo Auguste Demant (1893–1983), vicar at St John the Divine from 1933 to 1942, became a Canon of St Paul's Cathedral and an Oxford University professor. A regular broadcaster on the BBC's Third Programme in the 1950s,[17] he served on the committee that produced the 1957 Wolfenden report which recommended that "homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence".[18]
Worship
Photo gallery
The West façade of the church
The spire viewed from above the trees
The Sanctuary
The Triptych by Nathaniel Westlake
The chancel ceiling by Westlake
Interior view
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The recently restored Lady Chapel, restored in the 21st century
Calvary sculpture on the East end exterior by Richard Garbe (1876–1957)
Stations of the Cross by Freda Skinner
