St John the Evangelist - Newbury, Berkshire

Welcome to Saint John's - Newbury's hidden gem

Welcome to the Saint John's Newbury website. You will be able to view the various pages by going to the menu button and clicking on the page you would like to see. This site is regularly updated, so do be sure to visit again, to find out what is going on here.

The church of Saint John the Evangelist serves a parish of about 10,000 people in south Newbury, on the southern edge of the Diocese of Oxford, and is under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. It includes the pastoral care of two hospitals, three schools, almshouses and people living in sheltered accomodation. We are a parish firmly rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England, which places high emphasis on the sacraments, sound Biblical and doctrinal teaching, and pastoral work. The church building, which is one of the finest modern churches in the country, is a masterpiece of the noted architect, Stephen Dykes Bower, and is one of the very few post-war buildings that is listed for protection.

The parish of Saint John was founded in 1859 and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Oxford in 1860. It had been designed by the famous Victorian architect, William Butterfield, who also designed Keble College Chapel in Oxford and churches such as All Saints Margaret Street in London. Like those buildings, Saint John's was constructed from muti-coloured bricks.

This Church continued to serve the parish, until tragedy struck on 10th February 1943, when a bomb from a German aeroplane destroyed the church. After the war, money was eventually raised to rebuild the church. The architect for the new building was Stephen Dykes Bower. The new church has over three quarters of a million handmade bricks and also incorporates fragments of glass from the old church. You can take a virtual tour of the church by clicking on the Guided Tour button.

It is this church which still serves as the centre of worship in the parish. Whether in a quiet midweek service or the main parish mass on a Sunday, many people come to Saint John's in order to meet with God and with one another. In addition, the church is open every day, for quiet reflection and prayer. It is a centre of your community: it is truly your church. The congregation invites you to join them.

May God bless you.

Saint Johns launches appeal for £250,000
for urgent repair work
See Appeal page

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