St John's Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Address:
23 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8JA
How to find us | Access information
Opening times:
We rely on the availability of volunteers to open our churches to the public, please enquire in advance about upcoming open days, if you wish to visit St. John's. For enquiries regarding opening times, please contact: [email protected].
  • The church of St John the Evangelist was founded by John Harrison, a wealthy wool merchant in 1634, rare as only a few churches were built during the Carolian period (the reign of Charles I - Carolus being the Latin form of Charles). 
  • The fine Carolian strap-work ceiling at St John's contains panels with flowers, birds and male dryads playing pipes. The decoration is domestic in nature and illustrates the type of ornate plasterwork that would have graced the ceilings in wealthy merchants’ principal rooms.
  • The entrance porch at St John's in Leeds.
  • Exterior of St John's Church, Leeds.
  • The screen at St John's is a marvellous example of 17th century craftsmanship with its finely carved griffins, hearts, flowers and carved grotesque heads. It is surmounted by two coats of arms, above the north aisle (pictured) is the coat of arms of James I and to the south, Charles I.
  • Above the original communion table - decorated with carved heads said to resemble Charles I - the reredos at St John's contain mosaics from the 1860s by Salviati, in an 1880s setting by Temple Moore.
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The oldest church in Leeds

St John's is the oldest church in Leeds city centre. It was built in 1632-34, a turbulent time in England when very few new churches were constructed. The glory of the church lies in its magnificent Jacobean (Carolean) fittings, particularly the superb carved wooden screen. Every part of the screen is richly decorated with flowers (including tulips), hearts, twisting vines, and grotesque heads of humans and animals.There is more lovely carving on the wall panels, pews and pulpit. Brightly painted angels play instruments in the roof and look down on wonderful carved pews below.

The church building was entirely funded by wealthy merchant and Royalist John Harrison who also paid for the grammar school and almshouses nearby. Harrison''s benevolent spirit still pervades the church - he is buried near the altar, and a series of stained-glass windows depicts his good works. One of the windows shows an apocryphal tale in which Harrison presents King Charles, imprisoned in Leeds, with a tankard of gold coins disguised as a draught of ale.

Other monuments around the church commemorate the citizens of Leeds throughout the centuries, and emphasise the importance of the wool industry to the city's prosperity. In the mid-nineteenth century, the parish wanted to demolish the building and rebuild a more convenient modern church. The young architect Norman Shaw led an outcry against this, joined by the eminent architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. Happily they prevailed and Shaw was responsible for the ensuing restoration, very much in the original style of the building.

Our churches cost on average, £2500 per year, to keep them clean, conservation work, maintenance checks and in a safe condition for visitors to come and enjoy.

Please help us to keep our churches open by donating a gift of £5 or £10 by texting the numbers below or visit our donation page here

Text LEJ to 70970 to give £5

Text LEJ to 70191 to give £10

Your generous donation will help us to protect a beautiful part of local and national heritage. Thank you!

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