St John West Hendon
Diocese of London
Church, 623309
http://www.stjohnswesthendon.orgOverview
Grid reference: TQ 223 881
The church is built of stock brick with stone window tracery and door surrounds. The brick is still yellow rather than grey in colour. The exterior elevations are unpretentious: a double gable to the west, and on the north side a front devoid of windows with the profiles of the blocked north arcade showing through. The south wall is also plain, though it is properly finished, with windows high up in the wall. The window tracery generally and the crocketed double arch of the west doorway are strong and elegant.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave and south aisle of equal length. The proposed north aisle was never built, nor did the small tower on the south side ever receive its top storey.
Footprint of Church buildings: 692 m²
Exterior Description
The church is built of stock brick with stone window tracery and door surrounds. The brick is still yellow rather than grey in colour. The exterior elevations are unpretentious: a double gable to the west, and on the north side a front devoid of windows with the profiles of the blocked north arcade showing through. The south wall is also plain, though it is properly finished, with windows high up in the wall. The window tracery generally and the crocketed double arch of the west doorway are strong and elegant.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1935
The memorial window in the east window of the Lady Chapel is by F.C. Eden, 1935.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is well proportioned and satisfying, despite the unfinished state of the building. The south aisle is almost as tall as the nave and the resulting effect is of a double nave with a tall central arcade running the full length of the church. At the west end of the nave is a shallow gallery, over which is a 5-light Perpendicular window. The west window of the aisle is of similar form but with only four main lights. On the interior face of the north wall the blocked arcade can be more clearly seen, the wide moulded arches rise almost to the level of the wall plate, and the space under them has been filled with brickwork which has been left unplastered. On the other side of the nave is the completed arcade which is six bays in length with wide pointed arches which die into elongated hexagonal piers. On the north and south sides of the piers the vaulting shafts of the roof ribs are carried down to floor level, avoiding the need for awkward corbels in the spandrels of the arcade. The keeled wooden roof continues over the chancel space, its progression unbroken by a chancel arch. Only in the very last narrow bay before the east wall does the arcade cease, the lower part of the space being filled by a double sedilia. The east window is pushed up into the very head of the wall, where it is framed by a more than usually elaborate roof rib; the window itself is of Perpendicular form with seven principal lights, the three lights of the centre section being flanked by two smaller ones on either side.
By contrast with the nave, the aisle is roofed with a sexpartite vault, with a ridge-rib, the vault appears to be of wood. On the south wall the vaults spring directly from plain semi-circular corbels. The windows are placed high up under the vaults and the lower part of the wall is thus left completely plain. The two easternmost lays of the aisle are distinguished from the rest by reason of the fact that the webs of the vault are painted dark blue and that on the side wall are two large blank semi-circular arches. Under the more easterly of the arches is set the door into the church hall and the vestry. Just to the west of this section the upper entrance to a projected rood stair appears in the wall. Both the south aisle and the west interior wall of the church have dado of narrow painted panelling.
Fixtures and fittings
Font (object)
Late 17th Century
Stone font from St. George, Botolph Lane; a small octagonal bowl with curved sides and a gadrooned base on an elaborate baluster stem.
Font (component)
Late 17th Century
The octagonal wooden cover of ogee profile is clearly contemporary with the font itself.
Pulpit
1760
A richly inlaid wooden pulpit on a squat and substantial foot. The body of the pulpit is in the form of a chamfered rectangle. Both the pulpit and also the steps with their iron balusters, cane from the church of St. Micahel, Bassishaw, and were made c.1760.
Reredos
1673
Reredos the Lady Chapel reredos was apparently presented to the church of St. George, Botolph Lane by Christopher Wren himself in 1673. Between two fluted Corinthian demi-columns are two panels with semi-circular heads which must once have been inscribed with the Creed and Decaloctue but are now blank. At the heads of the panels are three gilded cherubs. In course of removal the reredos has lost its pediment and the two side wings, one of which is in St. Matthews Fulham.
Organ (object)
1931
A three manual organ installed in 1931.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 223 881
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.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
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
Quinquennial Inspections
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