St John the Baptist's Church, Chester
St. John the Baptist's Church was founded in the late 7th century. It is the former cathedral of Chester, Cheshire during the Early Middle Ages.
In 973, the famous King Edgar's council at Chester took place on a barge near St. John the Baptist's Church. After his coronation at Bath, King Edgar of England, came to Chester where he held his court in a palace in a place now known as Edgar's field near the old Dee bridge in Handbridge. Taking the helm of a barge, he was rowed the short distance up the River Dee from Edgars field to St John the Baptist's Church by several kings from Scotland and Wales. These kings pledged their faith that they would be Edgar's liege-men on sea and land.
The church was partially demolished and used as a garrison during the English Civil War. Restorations took place in 1886 that encompassed the medieval building into a new, larger church.
Architects R. C. Hussey and John Douglas designed the reconstruction with Norman, Gothic and Gothic Revival inspiration. Hussey focused on the Victorian restoration while Douglas designed the northeast belfry tower after the original collapsed.
The interior of the church contains a number of damaged effigies that date to the late 13th century. There are also two 15th century fonts and two 18th century brass chandeliers. The stained glass windows were designed by T. M. Penson in 1863 and Edward Frampton in 1890. It was designated as a Grade I listed building in the National Heritage List for England in 1955.
Visitors are welcome to attend services at St. John the Baptist's Church. The church is open for Holy Communion and Principal Eucharist at 8 AM and 10 AM on Sundays. Holy Eucharist takes place at 10 AM on Wednesdays and noon on Fridays.
In 973, the famous King Edgar's council at Chester took place on a barge near St. John the Baptist's Church. After his coronation at Bath, King Edgar of England, came to Chester where he held his court in a palace in a place now known as Edgar's field near the old Dee bridge in Handbridge. Taking the helm of a barge, he was rowed the short distance up the River Dee from Edgars field to St John the Baptist's Church by several kings from Scotland and Wales. These kings pledged their faith that they would be Edgar's liege-men on sea and land.
The church was partially demolished and used as a garrison during the English Civil War. Restorations took place in 1886 that encompassed the medieval building into a new, larger church.
Architects R. C. Hussey and John Douglas designed the reconstruction with Norman, Gothic and Gothic Revival inspiration. Hussey focused on the Victorian restoration while Douglas designed the northeast belfry tower after the original collapsed.
The interior of the church contains a number of damaged effigies that date to the late 13th century. There are also two 15th century fonts and two 18th century brass chandeliers. The stained glass windows were designed by T. M. Penson in 1863 and Edward Frampton in 1890. It was designated as a Grade I listed building in the National Heritage List for England in 1955.
Visitors are welcome to attend services at St. John the Baptist's Church. The church is open for Holy Communion and Principal Eucharist at 8 AM and 10 AM on Sundays. Holy Eucharist takes place at 10 AM on Wednesdays and noon on Fridays.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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St John the Baptist's Church on Map
Sight Name: St John the Baptist's Church
Sight Location: Chester, England (See walking tours in Chester)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Chester, England (See walking tours in Chester)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Chester, England
Create Your Own Walk in Chester
Creating your own self-guided walk in Chester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Chester Introduction Walking Tour
Chester is a walled city in Cheshire. It was originally founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix. It was garrisoned until the 4th century when it was abandoned by the Romans. It is thought that the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons during medieval times. It was also briefly occupied by the Danes.
Chester was very important during the Industrial Revolution. This is largely due... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Chester was very important during the Industrial Revolution. This is largely due... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Chester's City Walls
Chester City Walls are the oldest, longest and most complete (missing only just about 100 meters) historic defensive structure in Britain. Walking the full circuit of this ancient fortification provides wondrous views, wherever you choose to go, down into the city, and offers a fantastic insight into Chester's rich history.
First built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, the Walls were... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
First built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, the Walls were... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Chester's Black-and-white Architecture Tour
While the origins of Chester date back to Roman Times, much of the city center, and by far the greatest part of it, looks medieval. Indeed, if you visit the city, the first thing you notice is the magnificent black-and-white architecture. Despite their appearance, however, the majority of these buildings are Victorian by the time of construction.
The Black-and-White Revival was an architectural... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
The Black-and-White Revival was an architectural... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles