St John's Church, Wapping
| St John's Church, Wapping | |
|---|---|
 Tower of St John's Church, Wapping | |
 | |
| 51°30′14.5″N0°03′40.4″W/ 51.504028°N 0.061222°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Years built | 1756 |
St John's Church, Wapping,was theChurch of England parish churchinWapping,formerly inMiddlesexand now part ofeast London.Built in the 18th century, the church wasbombed during World War II,although the tower remains an important local landmark. The church is aGrade IIlisted building.[1]
History
[edit]
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for erecting a new Parish, to be called the Parish of St. John of Wapping, in the County of Middl'x. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 5 & 6 Will. & Mar. c.20 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 April 1694 |
St John's Church was originally built as achapel-of-ease[2]toWhitechapelin 1615-17 and became theparish churchwhen Wapping was constituted as a separate parish in 1694.[3]This makes it the oldest church in Wapping.[4]The present remains date to 1756, when the church was rebuilt by Joel Johnson, who had trained as a carpenter.[5]The church was bombed inWWII,with only a fragmentary rectangular shell remaining. The tower was restored in 1964 by theLondon County Counciland the remainder converted into flats in the 1990s.[5]
Further traces of the 18th century neighbourhood remain nearby. Opposite, the former churchyard abuts the former dock wall. It was made into a public park in 1951, but still containschest tombsto the Staple children,c. 1730,and to John Robinson,c. 1750.[5]Adjoining the church is St John's Old School, foundedc. 1695for the new parish and rebuilt together with the church in 1756.[6]
Architecture
[edit]The tower has a continental-looking lead top and, above the clock stage, a concave receding stage and then aBaroquecupola. The new outer walls are brick with quoins.
Current use
[edit]Starting in July 2023, there have been regular services in the chapel at the base of the bell tower.
Popular culture
[edit]St John's Church features in Season 4, Episode 23 ofFriends,"The One with Ross's Wedding".In that episode, Ross, Monica, and Emily approach a dilapidated church, where Ross and Emily are meant to be married, but are shocked to find that it is a building site, with the church in the process of being demolished. The exterior of St John's Church is visible in the scene, although it is unlikely that the subsequent wedding was filmed onsite.[7]
References
[edit]- ^"St John's Church".
- ^Holmes, Isabella M. (1896).The London Burial Grounds.
- ^Tames, Richard (2013).The East End.Historical Publications. p. 172.ISBN9781905286355.
- ^Leigh, Martha (2008).Memories of Wapping.The History Press. p. 116.ISBN9780752447094.
- ^abcCherry, O'Brien and Pevsner (2005).London 5: East.New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 508.ISBN9780300107012.
- ^Cherry, O'Brien, Pevsner (2005).London 5: East.Yale University Press. p. 509.ISBN9780300107012.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^"Where is Friends filmed?".