Introducing our building
The 1842 Chapel
Early
in the 19 century a new settlement grew up alongside the Basingstoke
Canal and around Kiln Bridge. The inhabitants were mainly labourers
from the local brickworks, and surrounding farms and nurseries and the
journey to their parish church, St Peter's (old) Woking was far from
convenient.
In 1840 the Vicar of St Peter's, the Reverend
Charles Bowles, raised the sum of £1500, chiefly from his own family,
to build a "chapel of ease" to serve this small community. He
commissioned the famous Victorian architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott,
to design an aisleless chapel in neat, simple architecture, with a
nave, chancel, lance -headed windows, and northern porch. This early
example of the architect's work was built in Kentish Ragstone with
Bathstone facings. A lithograph of the architect's original design
hangs on the wall of the lounge.
The mosaic flooring at the end
of the chancel was made by women inmates of the former Woking prison
which was once in the Inkerman area of the parish. Other black and
white mosaic tiles used to line the aisles of the church: examples can
still be seen in the music store. The women also made mosaics for St
Paul's Cathedral.
The church was consecrated by the Bishop of
Winchester on 24 June 1842 (the Feast of the Birth of St John the
Baptist). A silver plate given on the occasion is kept in the church
safe. The church was dedicated to St John the Baptist and gave the name
St John's to the community it serves.
Additions to the original building
Revd
Bowles built the nearby vicarage (now Langley House) and moved to live
there, whilst still Vicar of St Peter's. The present vicarage was built
in 1952. As the local population and congregation grew, side aisles and
vestries were added between 1879 and 1883, doubling the size of the
original chapel.
St John's became a parish in its own right in
1884: a panel in the church lists the Vicars of St John's; their photos
are in the clergy vestry.
The Bowles family funded a church
school in Church Road, on the site now occupied by Apollo and Scylla
Place: the old school bell can still be seen in the eaves of Scylla
Place. St John's School moved first to the village centre and then to
its current site in Victoria Road. It has recently renewed its links
with the parish, being affiliated to the Church. The old school
buildings in Church Road were used for Sunday School and Youth
activities until the 1970s. Older parishioners remember the hut used
for Sunday School and Scouts in the Vicarage garden.
Several
structural alterations took place in the church over the years. The
original organ was built by Bryceson. There was once a pitch pine
balcony, but it was removed in 1904 after being unused for some time.
The reredos, Holy Table and oak panelling in the chancel were made by
Wippels of Exeter, and installed in 1915. A choir vestry was added in
the 1930s, and the organ was rebuilt by Comptons in 1948.
The
church hall dates from 1956, and was refitted as a Youth Centre in
1992. We run various clubs for children and young people: with its
coffee bar and sports hall, it is the main youth provision for this
part of Woking.
In the late 1970's the lounge, narthex, small
halls and offices, were added to the church building, providing
excellent facilities for various church and community activities. Youth
clubs were run in the "Keyhole Club" below the new rooms. The present
balcony was built at that time.
A major refurbishment took place
in 2002. Works included improving lighting and heating, replacing the
flooring and seating, and adding a baptistry in the chancel. The stone
doorway of the original porch was dismantled and rebuilt further out to
make way for an enlarged Welcome Area. These improvements have been
well-received, and make the building much more friendly and flexible
for the needs of a lively church in the 21 Century.
Over the
years St John's expanded and planted other churches: Christ Church in
Woking; Holy Trinity in Knaphill; St Saviour's in Brookwood; Emmanuel
Church in Mayford, and St Andrew's in Goldsworth Park.
Furnishings and features
The
vivid stained glass in the triple lancet east window, made by Zettlers
of Munich, was dedicated in 1886 to the memory of Reverend Bowles. The
centre section depicts the Crucifixion, and is flanked by portrayals of
Jesus blessing the children, and raising the son of the widow of Nain.
There
are various named memorials throughout the church, including other
stained glass windows, a brass lectern, the pulpit, and tablets round
the walls. The communion rail was made at the Mayflower Family Centre
in 1966, and are engraved with the name of David Sheppard, England
cricketer and later bishop of Liverpool.
The beautifully carved oak pulpit, a gift in 1899, replaced the original which was given to Holy Trinity Church, Knaphill.
The
engraved window at the main entrance was installed in 1979. The main
theme is the tree of life by the river of living water (Psalm 1) and
the root of Jesse from whom Jesus was descended. The great "I ams" of
Christ are represented by a field of wheat, a vine, water and light.
The seven-branched candlestick, at the foot of the design, represents
the Christian church (Revelation 1). The whole engraving is surrounded
by the fire of the Holy Spirit with the wind blowing through it.
The
oak Font, Communion Table and Lectern were designed for the 2002
refurbishment. Under the chancel tiles is a baptismal pool which allows
for baptism by immersion.
The kneelers were hand-made by members
of the congregation and community from 1979, and represent local
groups, personal interests and special occasions, while others have a
spiritual theme. The larger kneelers at the communion rail depict the
seven days of creation.
The Churchyard
The earliest
readable gravestone, dated October 1843, belongs to the Waterers, a
well-known local nursery family. In 1885 the graveyard was extended to
the east and south of the church. The two vaults of the Bowles family
can be seen there, but many other headstones are now illegible. There
are one or two memorials of interest, including the grave of an officer
killed in the battle of Isandwana, South Africa; another tombstone is
for someone called David Goliath! The churchyard contains a rare
weeping beech.
The new churchyard in Church Road was opened in
1913 and contains the War Memorial. The War Memorial lists the names of
about 120 local men who died in the First World War, and carries the
inscription Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, which generally fell
from favour after the horrors of the Great War. The churchyard is now
closed for further burials, but cremated remains may be buried in the
Garden of Remembrance. A Wall of Remembrance was built in 1996 to
commemorate those whose remains are buried in the Garden.
A Place of Worship
We
hope you will enjoy exploring our beautiful church building. But its
main function is as a place of worship: to appreciate our church at its
best, try and join us as we worship God in Jesus Christ through the
Holy Spirit.
You will always be very welcome at any of our Sunday Services or other activities. |