Church of St John
CHURCH OF ST JOHN, DOWNSHIRE HILL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1078270
- Date first listed:
- 11-Aug-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN, DOWNSHIRE HILL
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2005-02-26
- Reference:
- IOE01/14032/36
- Rights:
- © Tim Belcher. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1078270
- Date first listed:
- 11-Aug-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN, DOWNSHIRE HILL
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN, DOWNSHIRE HILL
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Camden (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 26982 85697
Details
CAMDEN
TQ2685NE DOWNSHIRE HILL
798-1/27/341 (South side)
11/08/50 Church of St John
GV I
Church. 1818-23. Possibly by CR Cockerell or designed by its
builder, William Woods. Stucco. Slated roof. Classical style.
EXTERIOR: 5-bay aisled nave. Symmetrical west front with
slightly projecting central pedimented bay having pilasters at
angles and flanked by small wings with blind windows and
parapets upswept towards the central pediment. Prostyle
portico with penthouse roof and panel above inscribed "St.
John's Downshire Hill"; architraved doorway with panelled
double doors. Flanking the entrance, architraved round-arched
windows to ground floor and architraved oculi above. Pediment
with clock. Appearing above the pediment a rectangular bell
cupola with columns at angles carrying entablature and
round-arched louvred openings.
INTERIOR: particularly fine, with panelled galleries on 3
sides having 2 orders of slim cast-iron columns with enriched
capitals. Tunnel-vaulted roof with simple coffers.
Distyle-in-antis Corinthian reredos with inscribed entablature
and architraved and pedimented doorways in outer bays. East
window above of Venetian type with pilastered architrave and
patterned stained glass including the eagle of St John. North
and south walls have segmental-arched windows with splayed
soffits above and below galleries; rear of galleries has
corresponding round-arched openings to allow light through.
Box pews with umbrella stands on doors.
HISTORICAL NOTE: built to serve the new middle-class
surrounding development. In 1916 the freehold was bought by
Leslie Wright who leased it to the congregation for a nominal
rent. At his death he requested it should not be sold so long
as there was a congregation to support it. St John's remains
the only proprietary chapel in the diocese of London which is
self-supporting.
Listing NGR: TQ2698285697
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 477140
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 05:43:52.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry