St John's Church, Tunbridge Wells , Kent

St John's Church, Tunbridge Wells Church

Image Source: Edwardian Postcard

St. John's is located in a northern district of Tunbridge Wells sometimes known as The Lew. Constucted between 1857-58 to a design by Alexander Dick Gough, it was the first Anglican church to be built after the spa town's Evangelical Revival under the leadership of Canon Edward Hoare, Vicar of Holy Trinity (then the Parish Church, now the Trinity Theatre) who took up post in 1853. His monument, designed by John Oldrid Scott after his death in 1894, can be found just along the road. St. John's was built in a prominent hilltop position on the Tunbridge Wells to Tonbridge road. The site was provided by the Conservative Land Society. It is built from Kentish ragstone arranged in a crazy-paving style. This was a somewhat unusual choice in a region where most of the churches are made of locally quarried sandstone, but was cheaper and more economical. The church originally consisted of a nave and a very narrow chancel designed to house the altar and little else. The concept of robed choristers was viewed with suspicion in the 1850s. (St. John's didn't have a choir until the early 20th century). It had been built to a traditional cruciform pattern with a pair of transepts to the north and south and a south-eastern vestry. The tower, complete with a slender spire, was on the south side. The rapid expansion of the town in the mid-19th century - including new areas such as Rusthall and Southborough - soon necessitated the building of new churches and those already in existence required extensions and enlargements. In 1864 local architect H.H. (Henry Hickman) Cronk added the four bay north aisle and extended the north transept, providing a separate entrance and a stair turret leading to an upper gallery. Tunbridge Wells had become a wealthy town (and arguably still is!) populated by architects, bankers and stockbrokers, with a large number of retired gentlemen from a military background, along with the stereotypical maiden aunts. These people needed a range of employees, artisans and tradesmen to serve them. A number of churches drew their congregations exclusively from Tunbridge Wells' working class. St. John's upper gallery was used by servants and coachmen, all of whom were required to attend church on a Sunday, but had to conform to the rigid class system of the Victorian-era. The large green area to the north of the church was used to tether the horses while the carriages were parked. Once the service had ended, the coachmen left via the stairwell, untethered their horses from the green and drove to the west end to pick up their masters/employers. In 1896 a third phase of rebuilding began under the supervision of E.E. (Edwyn Evans) Cronk, the cousin of H.H. Cronk, who had carried out the second phase. It was during this period that the south tower was dismantled in favour of a new four bay south aisle. A new four-stage west tower was built, complete with a battlemented parapet with pinnacles at each corner and a stair turret covered by a small crocketed spirelet. Today it is a local landmark visible for miles around. The large cloakroom porch passages flanking the west end of the tower and the warren of vestry rooms in the south-east corner also date from E.E. Cronk's restoration, which when complete made it one of the most expansive parish churches in Kent. Both aisles are contained under their own gabled roofs. To allow natural light to enter an otherwise dark nave, E.E. Cronk provided three dormer windows. The church is rich in stained-glass, reflecting the wealth and status of the Victorian and Edwardian-era congregations. The five light east window, added in 1898, was designed by A.E. Tombleson on behalf of C.E. Kempe. The central theme is the Crucifixion. Christ is flanked by Mary and John, in their traditional positions to his left and right, with Peter and Paul in the two outer windows. The south transept window depicting the Ascension is older, dating from 1892. It was designed by A.L. Moore who also provided the inspiration for the west window. Most of the aisle windows were manufactured by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, with one offering apiece from Burlison & Grylls and James Powell & Sons. The Powells window is the west window in the north transept, in a part of the church now used as an office. It depicts Jesus and the Centurion from the Book of Matthew. The fact the Centurion is young immediately suggests this window was given as a memorial. The plaque below confirms it was given to commemorate a son who died in the South African War in the closing years of the 19th century. A south aisle window depicting the three Marys at the tomb was given in memory of Louisa Rose Glover, who died in 1888 while only a young girl. The inscription, written by grieving parents, describes her as "Darling Loo-Loo." Here, a poignant piece of childlike informality manages to pierce through the stiff upper-lip of Victorian society. The window tracery is particularly interesting. It is based loosely on the Decorated style of the 14th century, but with some flamboyant variations, including a nice rose window in the tower filled with coloured glass (again by A.L. Moore) which can be admired from a modern 20th century gallery. The octagonal font is Victorian. It is unusually designed, with each face containing a blank trefoiled arch surrounded by rosettes. Memorials around the walls commemorate people connected to the church at its beginning, including the first vicar, Thomas Woods Weston. There is also a brass plaque commemorating the reign of Queen Victoria. Two 20th century brass plaques honour a sidesman and churchwarden and an organist and choirmaster. Both have the surname Cronk and were related to the two architects (H.H. and E.E.) who carried out the second and third enlargements of the church. The interior was re-ordered in the late 1990s before a major enlargement was carried out between 2004-05. A new Church Centre was constructed against the south walls, the lower parts of which are now covered under a conservatory roof. This new facility, opened by the former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, has a number of function rooms and halls used for various activities and groups, both church related and secular.Today St. John's, maintaining both a conservative and charismatic evangelical tradition, has one of the largest Anglican congregations in Kent. Text by Rob Baker

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: Not built

Morning Attendance: Not built

Afternoon Attendance: Not built

Evening Attendance: Not built

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: Gough 1858

Restoration:

Second Restoration:

Notes

Website

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