St. John the Baptist Church is an Anglican church in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England.

The church is Grade II listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as it is a building of special architectural or historic interest.

History

The church is medieval and the chancel remains, but the remainder was heavily restored and rebuilt in 1842 by George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt. It was consecrated on 5 September 1844 by the Bishop of Lincoln.

The organ chamber was added in 1876 by Evans and Jolley of Nottingham. A new lectern and chancel stalls were provided. The chancel stalls were made by Mr. Tattershall of London.

An £860,000 re-ordering and renovation in 2007 moved the main entrance to the west end, and cleaned the interior, with new heating, seating and a new organ.

The font dates from the reign of King Henry III.

List of incumbents

Organ

The first known organ was installed in 1854Nottinghamshire Guardian – Thursday 4 May 1854 by Kirkland and Jardine of Manchester. It cost £300 (), raised by subscription and was installed on a gallery.Nottinghamshire Guardian – Thursday 27 April 1854 It was opened by the organist Edward John Hopkins on Tuesday 25 April 1854 at a service attended by the choir of Southwell Minster.

Some extra stops were added in 1856 and in 1876 it was further enlarged and improved and moved to the chancel following demolition of the gallery.Nottinghamshire Guardian – Friday 3 March 1876 In 1903 and 1909 it was renovated by Charles Lloyd of Nottingham and underwent further renovation in 1946. It was removed and replaced with an electronic organ in 1983. This has subsequently been replaced by a new electronic organ in 2008.

List of organists

Samuel Thornhill Frederick Kirkby ca. 1862 – 1895 Norman Frederick Byng Johnson 1895Nottinghamshire Guardian – Saturday 14 September 1895 – 1903 (afterwards organist of St Alkmund's Church, Derby) Horace Vernon Kington, FRCO, LRAM 1903 – 1925 (formerly organist of St. George's Church, Derby) John Hammond Fearon 1925 – 1931Nottingham Evening Post 4 February 1931 (formerly organist of St. John the Baptist's Church, Leenside, Nottingham and St. George's Church, Netherfield) Stanley Nolan 1931 – 1935 (James) Harold Allton, ARCO(ChM), LRAM 1936Who's Who in Music. Fourth Edition. 1962. p. 4 – 1961 (formerly organist of Emmanuel Church, Woodborough Road) Michael Grantham 1961 – 1986 Philip Sherratt 2010 - 2022 Chris Warren (Director of Music) and Philip Miles (organist)

The bells and tower The tower contains a peal of ten bells bells all cast by John Taylor of Loughborough. The tenor weight is . The tenor, 9, 7, 6, and 5 were cast in 1870, numbers 3 and 4 in 1877, number 8 in 1967, and numbers 1 and 2 in 1998.

Churchyard In July 1919 the vicar planted an Oak Tree in the churchyard in commemoration of Peace Day. This tree is now one of the largest in the churchyard.

Gallery

See also Listed buildings in Beeston, Nottinghamshire

References

Sources The Buildings of England, Nottinghamshire, Nikolaus Pevsner.

External links See St. John's Church on Google Street View.