Nominal: 626.5 Hz Weight: 2139 lbs Diameter: 49" Bell 1 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 6178 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
St John of Jerusalem South Hackney
Diocese of London
Major Parish Church, 623089
http://www.sjoj.co.ukOverview
Grid reference: TQ 355 842
The church was built to replace the Chapel of Ease erected in Well Street, South Hackney, in 1810, because the congregation had outgrown the building. The new church was the realisation of the ambition of Henry Handley Norris, a High churchman, to replace the chapel with a church conforming to the tenets of the Ecclesiological movement. The church was designed by Edward Charles Hakewill and was built in 1845-8.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Cruciform, with west tower, six-bay aisled nave, large crossing space, transepts and apsidal chancel. Small vestry in north-east corner.
Footprint of Church buildings: 1082 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built to replace the Chapel of Ease erected in Well Street, South Hackney, in 1810, because the congregation had outgrown the building. The new church was the realisation of the ambition of Henry Handley Norris, a High churchman, to replace the chapel with a church conforming to the tenets of the Ecclesiological movement. The church was designed by Edward Charles Hakewill and was built in 1845-8.
Exterior Description
The west tower is a strong feature of the townscape of the area in which the church stands. The tower is divided into six stages which we marked by string-courses, and at each stage the double buttresses which rise at the corners emphasize this articulation by a further set-off until they finally cease before reaching the belfry level. These divisions of the exterior bear little relation to the internal arrangements of the tower. The door occupies the lowest stage, and above is an arcade of Early English arches, four blind and three having lancet lights within them. On each side the buttresses have gablets containing blind quatrefoil arches. The next level has a small quatrefoil in the centre and is otherwise blank. Above this is the gilt clock face with Roman numerals. The two upper stages are based on a threefold division of space, the lower having three blind arches with a lancet in the central one and the upper being the belfry stage has emphaticallydesigned louvred openings with receding arches carried on clustered columns. The parapet above the belfry stage is the work of N.F. Cachemaille Day, forming part of his repair of the war damage. The slender lead-covered spire above is slightly anti-climactic, but fulfils very well its function of emphasizing the upward thrust of the west elevation even if it has none of the massive confidence of its predecessor, which was a stone broach spire with diminishing lucarnes.
The rest of the exterior of the church does not really correspond with the success of the tower. The reason far this is partly circumstantial, for the Kentish ragstone of which the church is built and the Speldhurst stone which was used for the dressings have both worn badly. The windows are methodically placed in the appropriate positions, single lancets in each aisle bay, double lancets with quatrefoils in the clerestory above, but the failures are the diffident flying buttresses ever the aisles and the carved string-courses below the roof-line. Both would be good elsewhere but are too small in scale for this church. The exterior of the apse is angular, with single tall lancets in each face and buttresses at the angles. These have trefoil-headed niches crowned with small gablets at window level. A continuous band of foliage runs at the wall-head, a small string-course links the buttresses with the windam heads and a bolder one runs below the windows.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is an excellent example of the ecclesiological movement's desire to make every parish church like a Cathedral. Here is a parish church designed on cathedral lines, and suffering as a result from its own ambition. The church is huge and well-lit, and the first impression on entering is one of enormous space, caused by the wide area of floor left blank between the two blocks of pews on either side of the nave. The pews themselves are powerfully designed, almost mediaeval in their inventive detail. The poppyheads are large and bold, carved with a variety of foliage.
The piers supporting the nave arcades are mostly cylindrical, but there are a few octagonal ones among them, placed with no particular regard for symmetry, but possibly with the idea of giving the impression of a mediaeval church which had been rebuilt at different periods. In like manner, some of the capitals have roll-mouldings and some have foliage. The arcades above are chamfered and have ornamentation on the outermost order which in some cases is naturalistic and in others is more stylized (ball-flowers, for example). Between the arches are lavishly carved corbels which support triple attached columns from which rise the main roof timbers. The beams are meagre in comparison with the span of the nave. roof, which is of a simple trussed design. At the west end of the nave is a disproportionately tall pointed arch opening to the lower stages of the tower, and this is mostly taken up with the organ gallery with wooden porches beneath.
The roof of the crossing space is a wooden ribbed vault of ample dimensions, and is supported on a plethora of attached columns lined up in ranks seven deep at each corner of the space. This makes the chancel arch forceful, and gives a good frame for the altar which now stands in a central position in the church, an to shorten the distance between atter priest and people which was dauntingly unwieldy.To the left and right, the transepts have had internal rooms built in them, that to the north being a small hall, and that on the south being a chapel and vestry. These are fortunately not visible from the nave, because they affect the proportions of this part of the church. This must have been even more true when the crossing altar was not there.
The stained glass is of post-war date, and has much clear glass in the design, which consists of figures associated with medicine. Beneath the windows is an arcade of three arches in each bay supported on attached columns. The wall behind is painted with emblems of the Passion and the capitals are gilded. The foliage in the spandrels of the arches is vigorous and flowing. The effect is improved by the royal blue carpet on the floor here.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
A strong oak table containing a stone mensa.
Pulpit
The pulpit is a sturdy construction faced with coloured marble, the panels inlaid with gold crosses. The colours are chiefly red and green.
Lectern
The lectern is a very substantial brass eagle of intimidating appearance.
Altar
The nave altar was formerly in a side chapel in the south transept and has four Corinthian columns standing forth from the front and conventional decoration on the panelling behind them.
Font (object)
The font is a stock design in stone, octagonal in form, supported on eight small columns and one large central column.
Organ (object)
The organ was built in 1949 by Alfred E. Davies and is a three-manual instrument with electric action.
Bells
Nominal: 1287 Hz Weight: 617 lbs Diameter: 30.63" Bell 2 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39605 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1197 Hz Weight: 600 lbs Diameter: 30.38" Bell 3 of 8
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1907
Dove Bell ID: 39606 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1060.5 Hz Weight: 757 lbs Diameter: 33" Bell 4 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39607 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 948 Hz Weight: 741 lbs Diameter: 33.88" Bell 5 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39608 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 839 Hz Weight: 970 lbs Diameter: 37.5" Bell 6 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39609 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 785.5 Hz Weight: 1165 lbs Diameter: 40.13" Bell 7 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39610 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 702.5 Hz Weight: 1449 lbs Diameter: 43" Bell 8 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1848
Dove Bell ID: 39611 Tower ID: 16835 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 355 842
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
Showing 7 entries of 7 View All
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.