St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood

St John the Evangelist is a Grade II* Church of England parish church on Sylvan Road, Upper Norwood, in the Diocese of Southwark: a red-brick Early English church by John Loughborough Pearson, built between 1878 and 1887.

Overview

Historic England lists a church of 1878–87 by J. Pearson in the Early English style, of red brick with stone dressings. A tall west front has grouped lancets flanked by square turrets with pyramidal stone roofs and a lean-to round-arch narthex. The plan is a four-bay nave with double aisles, transepts, a straight-ended chancel and a south chapel. The stock-brick interior has a brick and stone vaulted roof, a tall clerestory with wall-passage and a west gallery. There is a stone rood screen and a reredos with many statues. The south transept was intended to carry a tower that was never built. The church was restored after bomb damage by Caroe and Partners in 1946–51. Wikipedia records that a temporary iron church was moved to the Auckland Road site in 1875; the present church was founded on 6 May 1878 and consecrated on 30 April 1887. Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register notes long-term movement on shrinkable clay, with grant-aided underpinning and vault repairs completed in 2017.

The church is open every day, with level access to the main areas.

Further Information

• Historic England list entry 1079275
• St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood