The Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saint John the Baptist, Liverpool, is on the corner of West Derby Road and Green Lane, in Tuebrook
, Liverpool
, Merseyside
, England . It is a Grade I listed building and an active Anglican parish church
in the diocese of Liverpool
, the archdeaconry of Liverpool and the deanery of West Derby.
. The interior was redecorated in 1910 by Henry Hare
to Bodley's design. This was restored in 1968–71 by Stephen Dykes Bower
.
There was controversy before the church was consecrated because Bodley intended to use an early 16th century altarpiece from Antwerp which had carved tableaux of the Passion
as the reredos
. However the Bishop of Chester
considered it to be too "Popish"
and he refused to consecrate the church until it was removed. The altarpiece is now in St Michael's Church, Brighton
.
, north and south aisles under lean-to roofs, a west tower, a north porch, a chancel with a chapel to the north, the organ loft to the south and a detached vestry connected to the chancel by a short passage. The tower has angled buttress
es and a west entrance above which is a three-light window. The top stage has two-light louvred
bell-openings and a panelled parapet
with pinnacle
s at the corners. The spire is recessed on an octagonal base containing gabled two-light openings and it is attached to the pinnacles by flying buttress
es. At the south east corner of the tower is a lean-to stair turret. The porch has a flat roof with a parapet and a niche
over the entrance containing a statue.
states it is "one of the finest examples of Victorian
polychromy
". The walls and the roofs are all richly stencil
led, and in addition there is a wall painting on the east wall of the nave by C. E. Kempe
. The gilt
reredos dates from 1871 and has panels painted by Kempe.
The area under the tower has made into the Chapel of the Holy Rood and contains a reredos, an altar and a credence table
which were adapted in 1978 from a rood screen
of 1890 by Bodley which was taken from Dunstable Priory
. The pulpit
and the octagonal font
were both designed by Bodley, as were the richly painted screens (again with panels by Kempe). The stained glass in the east window and the south window in the chancel is by Morris & Co.
; some of the windows elsewhere are by Burne-Jones
. In the church is a brass memorial
dating from 1926 by Hare which consists of a life-size figure of Rev. Ralph Brockman. The memorial to the First World War
is a statue of Mary, also by Hare; that to the Second World War
is a statue of John the Baptist
by Sir Ninian Comper
.
The ring
consists of eight bells which were cast in 1869 by John Warner & Sons.
dressings. It has three storeys and a tile roof.
Tuebrook
Tuebrook is an area of inner-city Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 14,490.-Toponymy:The origin of the name may be Tew Brook, which was a tributary of the Alt...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England . It is a Grade I listed building and an active Anglican parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Liverpool
Anglican Diocese of Liverpool
The Diocese of Liverpool is a Church of England diocese based in Liverpool, covering Merseyside north of the River Mersey along with West Lancashire, Wigan in Greater Manchester, Warrington and Widnes in Cheshire...
, the archdeaconry of Liverpool and the deanery of West Derby.
History
The church was built between 1867 and 1870, its cost of £25,000 (£ as of ), being totally met by the wife of Rev. J. C. Reade. The architect was George Frederick BodleyGeorge Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
. The interior was redecorated in 1910 by Henry Hare
Henry Hare
Henry Thomas Hare was an Edwardian English architect, born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, who was responsible for a trail of municipal buildings around Britain....
to Bodley's design. This was restored in 1968–71 by Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Ernest Dykes Bower was a British church architect and Gothic Revival designer best known for his work at Westminster Abbey.-Early life and education:...
.
There was controversy before the church was consecrated because Bodley intended to use an early 16th century altarpiece from Antwerp which had carved tableaux of the Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
as the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
. However the Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
considered it to be too "Popish"
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
and he refused to consecrate the church until it was removed. The altarpiece is now in St Michael's Church, Brighton
St Michael's Church, Brighton
St. Michael's Church is an Anglican church in Brighton, England, dating from the mid-Victorian era. Located on Victoria Road in the Montpelier area, to the east of Montpelier Road, it is one of the largest churches in the city of Brighton and Hove...
.
Structure
The church is built in red and buff stone, which is irregularly banded. The main roof is tiled, while the roofs of the aisles are of slate. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestoryClerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south aisles under lean-to roofs, a west tower, a north porch, a chancel with a chapel to the north, the organ loft to the south and a detached vestry connected to the chancel by a short passage. The tower has angled buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and a west entrance above which is a three-light window. The top stage has two-light louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell-openings and a panelled parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s at the corners. The spire is recessed on an octagonal base containing gabled two-light openings and it is attached to the pinnacles by flying buttress
Flying buttress
A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground...
es. At the south east corner of the tower is a lean-to stair turret. The porch has a flat roof with a parapet and a niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
over the entrance containing a statue.
Decoration, fittings and furnishings
Pollard and Pevsner describe the interior as being "glorious" and "richly coloured" due to the "resplendent display of Bodley fittings and the vibrant decoration". The citation in Images of EnglandImages of England
rightImages of England is an online photographic record of all the listed buildings in England at the date of February 2001. The archive gives access to over 323,000 colour images, each of which is matched with the item’s listed designation architectural description.This ‘snapshot’ is not an...
states it is "one of the finest examples of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
polychromy
Polychrome
Polychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. It has also been defined as "The practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." Polychromatic light is composed of a number of different wavelengths...
". The walls and the roofs are all richly stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
led, and in addition there is a wall painting on the east wall of the nave by C. E. Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
. The gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
reredos dates from 1871 and has panels painted by Kempe.
The area under the tower has made into the Chapel of the Holy Rood and contains a reredos, an altar and a credence table
Credence table
A Credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist. Etymology: from latin credens, -entis, believer)....
which were adapted in 1978 from a rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
of 1890 by Bodley which was taken from Dunstable Priory
Dunstable Priory
The Priory Church of St Peter with its monastery was founded in 1132 by Henry I for Augustinian Canons in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. St Peter’s today is a large and impressive building, but this is only the nave of what remains of an originally much larger Augustinian priory church...
. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and the octagonal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
were both designed by Bodley, as were the richly painted screens (again with panels by Kempe). The stained glass in the east window and the south window in the chancel is by Morris & Co.
Morris & Co.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and its successor Morris & Co. were furnishings and decorative arts manufacturers and retailers founded by the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris...
; some of the windows elsewhere are by Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
. In the church is a brass memorial
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
dating from 1926 by Hare which consists of a life-size figure of Rev. Ralph Brockman. The memorial to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
is a statue of Mary, also by Hare; that to the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
is a statue of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
by Sir Ninian Comper
Ninian Comper
Sir John Ninian Comper was a Scottish-born architect. He was one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects, noted for his churches and their furnishings...
.
The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of eight bells which were cast in 1869 by John Warner & Sons.
Organ
The three-manual organ was made by William Hill & Sons in 1867 and cleaned and improved by the same company in 1895. It is contained in a "magnificent Bodley case, with embossed display pipes". It was restored in 1991 by David Wells.List of organists
- Claude Ridley 1871-1882
- William Faulkes(organist-composer)1882 - 1886
- R.Cooper ARCO, 1896-
- Mr Tubb (senior), 1901–1933
- C.F. Holt, 1935–1953
- Edward Tubb 1953-1956
- C.F. Holt 1956-1966
- David James (Assistant Organist 1966 then Organist from 1973-)
- Clive Arnold 2000-2009
- John Peace BA LRAM ARCO 2009-
Vicarage
The vicarage, completed in 1890, was also designed by Bodley. It is a Grade II listed building in grey brick with red brick bands and red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
dressings. It has three storeys and a tile roof.