St John's Tower
This Summer we are embarking on a project to repair St John's Tower. You will notice a change in our appearance whilst this work is undertaken and there will be reduced access to the churchyard whilst our project team make the repairs. We hope to keep any disruption to a minimum, but believe that the improvements we are making will benefit our whole community.
We hope you find the information on this page helpful but please do contact us if you have further questions.
History
The first incarnation of St John’s was opened in 1837 it was a smaller version of what you see today with only a small square tower at the south west corner. In 1879 the original tower was demolished and the current tower and spire was built at a cost of £2000. The tower was a gift of Edward North Buxton of Knighton House. The current St John’s clock was actually from the original tower, a gift of the generous Mr Buxton in 1872.
St John’s stands at a surprisingly high point in the county. There is an old tale that it is the 2nd highest point between here and the coast. True or not St John’s Tower is particularly exposed to the vagaries of the weather and over time the original stone and some later repairs have deteriorated considerably.
The Future
We are repairing those areas of the tower that are most at risk, including the window tracery’s and louvres, and the balustrades. Our intention is to repair the tower as sensitively as possible, respecting the craftsmen that built it in the first place. To that end the repairs are being made by an experienced team of local stonemasons and carpenters. Currently the work is estimated to last until early 2027.
This is not a full restoration of the whole tower, but a repair. The new stone will most certainly show against the old but we hope that the work we are doing now will ensure the longevity of the tower and the new repairs will become part of the tapestry of St John’s over time.
The Tower will be 150 years old in 2029 and we want it to be there for another 150 years!
