Facilities and features
Accessibility
There is a parking area by the side of the church on the B1257 road.
At the right hand turn to Fangdale Beck is a public telephone box, coloured green. There is a story and a history to this listed telephone box. It was in the 1930s that Fangdale Beck received its distinctive green telephone kiosk (just across the road), specially painted that colour at the request of Lord Feversham, to blend in with the landscape. Quite recently, in 1992, a great battle was fought over this, when - without any consultation - British Telecom removed it, to replace it with a conventional new "shower cubicle" box. Evidently they did not realize that what they had removed was a Grade II listed building! They were fined £3,000 and, to local delight, then ordered to restore the original.
The church is accessible from the road for wheelchair users.
Our Building
The church has a stunning stained glass East window depicting the crucifixion.
The Church of St John the Evangelist is a Grade 11 listed building. Its description on the British Listed Buildings website is as follows:
" Parish church. 1896-8 by Temple Moore. Pecked coursed sandstone
with dressings; graduated Lakeland slate roof with stone ridge andcopings, stone spire. West tower, continuous nave and chancel, north
aisle. Decorated style.
Square tower of 3 stages with stepped diagonal buttresses, stepped
and moulded plinth, Y-tracery west window with clock above. Small
openings north and south, Y-traceried bell openings above. Short
octagonal broach spire with lucarnes and vane. Stepped buttress bay
divisions. North aisle under catslide roof. Cusped reticulated tracery to east window. Twin boot scrapers flank 4 steps to door. Interior plastered with stone dressings. Moulded and chamfered
arches of 4-bay aisle dying into diagonal chamfered piers. East bay
and eastward extension panelled off as vestry. Tall, pointed tower
arch. Ribbed barreled nave roof and coffered tower roof. Good,
apparently original woodwork including benches, pulpit, choir seating
and desks. Chequered stone paving in slightly-raised chancel and
sanctuary, and moulded piscina in south wall. Carved vestry door
with monogram under long Caernarvon arch.
Music and Worship
The church is used for Art and Photography Exhibitions on an occasional basis.
St John's is a festival church and holds services on festival days. It forms part of our small rural parish of five churches. We take turns holding a service in each church through the month's Sundays. Please see our Parish website for details about current services.
Groups, Courses and Activities
Help for Visitors
The church is open for visitors.