St John the Divine, Richmond, in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, is a Grade II listed church[3] on Kew Road, in Richmond, London, near Richmond railway station. Built in 1836, and a parish in its own right since 1838, it was designed by Lewis Vulliamy[4] in the Early Gothic Revival architectural style.[3]
Since 1996 St John the Divine has been part of the Richmond Team Ministry, which also includes the churches of St Mary Magdalene and St Matthias.[5][6]
Richmond grew rapidly during the 18th and early 19th centuries.[7] By the 1820s, Richmond's original parish church, St Mary Magdalene, was too small.,[8] quoted in Brown, Ingrid (10 September 2011). "St.Matthias' Church and the Medievalism of Sir George Gilbert Scott". The Victoria Web. Retrieved 16 April 2015.</ref> Having recognised the need for another chapel, the vestry commissioned new construction by 1831. The new building, St John the Divine, was completed in 1836.,[9] quoted in Brown, Ingrid (10 September 2011). "St.Matthias' Church and the Medievalism of Sir George Gilbert Scott". The Victoria Web. Retrieved 16 April 2015.</ref> It was built from 1831 to 1836 on a site provided by local resident and landowner, William Selwyn (1775–1855); the architect was Lewis Vulliamy. Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner criticise Vulliamy's "craziest W spire and senseless flying buttresses from the W porches up to the nave" but describe Grove's east end (added in the early 20th century) as "a fine composition".[4]
In 1838 it became a parish church in its own right.[10]
The organ, built by Beale and Thynne, was dedicated in December 1896.[11] Described as "a virtually unaltered work of Victorian artistry", it has been fully restored.[12]
A chancel, south chapel and vestries were added in 1904–1905; they were designed by Arthur Grove.[4] In 1908, Nathaniel Westlake painted the sanctuary ceiling with illustrations of the Book of Revelation, chapter 14, and created the triptych behind the altar.[4][11] Westlake also painted the Stations of the Cross, which are now missing; they were replaced between 1955 and 1970 by reliefs in Nabresina stone carved by Freda Skinner.[4] Eric Gill carved the stonework on the triptych and over the sacristy door.[11][13] The Calvary sculpture on the east end facing St John's Road was carved by Richard Garbe.[14]
The church hall, in brick, was built in 1911.[4]
In 1980–1981 adaptations were made to the church to enable it be used occasionally for concerts and to provide a meeting room, toilet facilities and residential accommodation.[15] The architects were Dry Hastwell Butlin Bicknell,[4] a partnership of David Dry (1934–2011), Vince Hastwell, George Butlin and Roger Bicknell.[16]
The reredos in the Lady Chapel was restored in the early 21st century by Howell and Bellion.[17]
Vigo Auguste Demant (1893–1983), vicar at St John the Divine from 1933 to 1942, became a Canon of St Paul's Cathedral and an Oxford University professor. A regular broadcaster on the BBC's Third Programme in the 1950s,[18] he served on the committee that produced the 1957 Wolfenden report which recommended that "homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence".[19]
The church's style of worship is described as "modern/liberal Catholic".[20] Eucharist is celebrated at 11.00 am on Sundays and 7:00 pm on Tuesdays.[21]
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