Church of St John Baptist

St John the Baptist’s stands on Ber Street in Norwich, its flint and brick walls rising above the old city. The church has been known by several names over the centuries, including ‘St John ad Montem’ and ‘St John by the Swine-market’. Parts of the building date back to the 11th century, though most of what remains was rebuilt in the 15th century. The nave once had a thatched roof, but this was replaced by tiles in the 19th century. In 1784 the square tower fell, and a smaller stone bellcote was added in 1877. The church is recognised for its fine Victorian windows, which were refaced or replaced during that period. Inside, a 20th-century organ stands in place of earlier instruments, its pipes altered many times. Nikolaus Pevsner described the building in his 1962 survey of Norfolk architecture. The east end still shows traces of the original Norman work, though the rest is later Gothic in style. Visitors find a quiet space of flint walls and stone dressings, with a tiled nave roof overhead. The small bellcote above the west end marks where the tower once stood. The interior keeps the feel of a medieval parish church, despite later changes. Light falls through clear Victorian glass into the nave and chancel. The organ occupies a place of honour, its modern form a reminder of the church’s long musical life.