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The church is built of local limestone in what is called “Gothic Revival Style”. The Victorians copied the medieval style of Gothic Architecture because they wanted to give a sense of history, permanence, grandeur, and beauty. So, the church has the characteristic pointed arches, a tall ceiling in the nave with light coming in through the clerestory windows and a tall 140-foot spire to draw you closer to God. The two light lancet windows are characteristic of the Early English Gothic style which they felt was when Christianity was at its purest form. They were originally of plain glass to let in the most light.
The chancel was designed to be higher than the nave and has more ornately carved choir stalls made of oak, as distinct from the nave pews made from pine. The wooden panelling and carved pulpit are also of oak.
The interior walls of the church were originally plastered but this was removed as it was felt that exposed stone was more attractive. Unfortunately, the walls were badly repointed with a raised grey coloured mortar which does nothing to enhance the beauty of the stone.
The famous Pevsner guide to churches says, “the church presents a light and graceful appearance.”
The Reredos is an ornamental panel behind the altar where communion is taken, at the front of church. It was erected in memory of George Savile Foljambe, following his death in December 1869 just after the church had been built. It was paid for by public donations in recognition of his generous contribution to the funds for the building of the church.
The Reredos is the centre piece of the memorial of sixteen panels of polished Sicilian marble with moulded arches. It is formed of three panels of Derbyshire alabaster stone. The centre panel contains a ‘Christogram,’ a combination of letters for name of Jesus Christ, a traditional Christian symbol in gold and other colours. The two either side are decorated with words of Jesus.
The memorial was replaced with oak panelling in 1931 except for the central three panels. They were later covered by a curtain, probably because they had faded over the years. However, in 2016 the left and right panels were again uncovered. For more details see description under George Savile Foljambe in the People page.
The church clock proudly stands on the church Spire, faithfully keeping the time for Worksop for over a century. It was made in December 1892 by John Smith and Sons of the Midland Steam Clocks Works in Derby, responsible for thousands of clocks worldwide as one of Britain’s largest and oldest clock manufacturers.
The clock was placed in the tower as a thanksgiving to God for the church surviving a lightning strike earlier that summer. It started working just before midnight on 31st December 1892, the same day as the ‘watch night’ service for the beginning of the new year.
As part of the Spire conservation and heritage project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the workings of the clock have been cleaned and the dial restored so it will continue to act as Worksop’s timekeeper for many years to come.
The Organ, which can still be played, is of a unique quality for the size of the church. It was built by Brindley and Foster of Sheffield and installed with the church’s completion in 1869.
The Organ was rebuilt in 1919 after the end of the First World War to commemorate the 145 men from the Parish who were killed in the war and to mark the Golden Jubilee of the church. A brass memorial on an oak panel with all their names is displayed on the north wall.
The font for baptising babies is an imposing stone square built construction, just inside the church to the left from the North door. Its main section consists of a sculpted white stone body with four panels showing biblical scenes.
The font stands on a stone base. It was gifted by John Vessey Machin, local landowner and member of the original committee charged with establishing a new church. The inscription on the stone base reads, ‘Remembering always that baptism representeth unto us our profession which is to follow the example of our saviour, Christ.
The font is topped by a carved wooden cover with four wooden supports that rise to meet in the centre with a carved wooden cross. The cover was donated by the St. John’s Sunday School during the church’s Golden Jubilee year in 1919.
Beneath the Organ pipes near the chancel there is a beautiful stone cross. The cross formerly stood at the apex of the Chancel roof. It fell down during a heavy storm and was badly damaged. Stone masons from Pinnacle repaired it but it was decided it was too vulnerable to put back in place.
Volunteers from U.K. Shared Prosperity Fund created its wooden frame out of recycled wood
The church has many beautiful stained glass windows showing Bible stories. They were crafted through donations made in memory of past worshippers, by their families and friends.
The East window at the front of the church – donated by Cecil George Savile Foljambe, in memory of Louisa, his first wife, and their son Frederick Foljambe. Cecil Foljambe was Lord Hawkesbury and Earl of Liverpool, a prominent Liberal M.P. and Steward of the Royal Household. He was the first son of the marriage between George Savile Foljambe and Lady Selina Milton.
The crucifixion of Jesus forms the centrepiece of the windows with twelve other Old and New Testament Bible scenes around. Close up window shows Jonah swallowed by the great fish.
The ‘Gatekeeper’ window by the North entrance – showing the scene depicted in a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins in 1912 entitled, ‘God Knows.’ This was little known at the time but became famous after King George VI quoted it in his Christmas Radio broadcast that first December of the Second World War. The words spoken must have been a comfort to people living in the uncertainty, anxiety and worry of the war.
The inscription includes the words of the poem:
‘And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year. ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied…. ‘Go out into the darkness and put thine hand into the hand of God. That shall be thee better than light and safer than a known way.’
The window was a memorial to Oscar Hawke, who died in 1949 while serving the church as a church warden
Second World War Memorial window – in memory of those parishioners who were killed in the Second World War. The window is signed, ‘Shrigley and Hunt, Lancaster.’
The inscription at the bottom of the window reads:
‘In thanksgiving to God for the men of this parish who sacrificed their lives in the war of 1939-45.’
The window depicts Jesus by the Sea of Galilee and the boy with the loaves and fishes feeding the crowd.
office.worksopstjohn@gmail.com
St John’s Church,
Overend Road,
Worksop,
Nottinghamshire,
S80 1QG