St John Horsleydown facts for kids
St John Horsleydown was an old Anglican church located in Horsleydown, a part of South London in Bermondsey. It was built a long time ago, between 1726 and 1733. The church was special because of its unique spire, which looked like a tall, thin column.
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Building the Church
The church was built between June 1727 and 1733. It was located on Fair Street, near where Tower Bridge Road is today. This was one of the last churches built by a special group called the "Commission for Building Fifty New Churches." This group was set up to build many new churches in London. The area around St John Horsleydown became a new church parish, separated from the nearby St Olave's parish.
Who Designed It?
The church was designed by two famous architects, Nicholas Hawksmoor and John James. They were both surveyors for the Commission. In 1727, they were asked to design a church that would cost no more than £10,000. This was a much smaller budget than Hawksmoor had for his other churches.
What Made It Special?
Like another church they worked on, St Luke Old Street, St John Horsleydown had a simple main building. It had a central area called a nave with aisles on the sides. The most interesting part of the church was its unusual spire. It looked like a tall, thin column that got narrower towards the top. A weather vane shaped like a comet sat on top of the spire. A famous expert named Nikolaus Pevsner called it a "silly but lovable spire" and a landmark in South London. He also said the church was a "stately building" made of stone. It had ten bells that were made in 1783 or 1784.
Damage and Changes
The church was badly damaged by a bomb on September 20, 1940, during The Blitz, which was a time of heavy bombing in London during World War II. Even after the damage, parts of the church were still used. By 1952, only the west, north, and east walls were still standing.
Parish Mergers
In 1947, the church's parish joined with the nearby St Olave's parish. The church there had been taken down. So, the church and parish became known as Southwark, St Olave and St John. In 1956, there was another merger with the parish of St Magdalen Bermondsey. St John Horsleydown then became a chapel of ease. This means it was a smaller church used for services, but not the main parish church. It was now part of the new parish of Bermondsey St Mary Magdalen with St Olave and St John.
Rebuilding Plans
In 1956, a plan to rebuild the church was approved. However, this plan was never carried out. The last baptism held in the church was in 1960. In 1964, the parishes merged again. St Olave and St John's became part of the parish of St Mary Magdalen with St Olave, St John and St Luke, Bermondsey.
Closure and Demolition
In 1968, the church was officially closed. The rebuilding plan from 1956 was canceled. The London City Mission, a charity group, bought the land in 1974. The bodies buried in the church's underground crypt were moved to Brookwood Cemetery. The Mission then opened its Nasmith House building on the site in 1975. You can still see parts of the church's original stone base, up to 10 feet high in some places, from the churchyard. The ruined church building was even used as a background for a music video for the song 'Ragamuffin Man' in 1969.
