Description

SE 32 NE ROTHWELL LEEDS ROAD
LS26 (west side)
Oulton

6/87 Church of St. John
5th June 1964 the Evangelist

II*

Church. 1827-29, by Rickman and Hutchinson. Sandstone ashlar, slate roof.
West tower with spire, nave with north and south aisles, north porch, apsidal
chancel with hexagonal south vestry. In Early English style. The 3-stage
tower, with prominent angle buttresses, has a 2-centred arched west doorway
moulded in 3 orders, with hoodmould run out as a string-course carried round
the whole, a lancet in each side of 2nd stage with 3 orders of hollow
moulding, a band of quartrefoils above, tall triple-lancets to the belfry
stage (the outer blind and the centre louvred), a corbel table to the
cornice, and corner pinnacles with flying buttresses to the octagonal spire,
which has gableted lucarnes at this level and smaller lucarnes half way up.
The regular 6-bay nave and aisles, with buttresses to the aisles and lesenes
to the nave, and plain parapets to both (the upper with corbel tables in each
bay) have moulded lancets with hoodmoulds, and at the east end a buttress to
the nave finished with a tall octagonal pinnacle. The north aisle has a very
prominent gabled porch to the 3rd bay, with emphatic angle buttresses and
similar corner pinnacles, a shafted outer doorway moulded in 3 orders, a
hoodmould with figured stops, a corbelled niche above, parapet with weathered
coping and apex finial, a lancet in each side, a vaulted ceiling, and an
inner door with 3 orders of deeply-undercut moulding. The buttressed 3-bay
chancel with 3-sided apsidal east end has shafted lancets under hoodmoulds
with figured stops, and plain parapet with slender pinnacles rising from the
buttresses ; and attached on the south side a hexagonal vestry, like a
chapter house, in matching style.

Interior: a lofty and luminous impression given by tall arcades of columns
with engaged shafts, 2-centred arches with 3 orders of moulding, and
groin-vaulted ceiling with carved bosses, the groins springing from clustered
wall-shafts between the arches; aisles and chancel also groin-vaulted;
heavily moulded chancel arch carried by shafted piers; organ loft at west end
on canted 5-bay arcade; in the apse, rich blind arcading in Geometrical
style; in north wall of chancel a gabled canopied recess with carved
cinquefoil surround, framing a wall monument to John Blayds of Leeds and
Oulton, "the Founder of this Church", died 1827, with inscribed footnote
"formerly Johnn Calverley"; walls plastered and whole interior painted white.

History: see Oulton: Villaoe Church Estate, St. John's Press, 1979.

Listing NGR: SE3597228095

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St John the Evangelist at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17533282

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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