St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood

St John the Evangelist stands in Upper Norwood, a South London suburb built on former Surrey woodland. The church is a Grade II* listed red brick Gothic Revival building designed by John Loughborough Pearson and completed in 1887. It occupies a corner site where Auckland Road meets Sylvan Road, close to Crystal Palace Park and the Croydon transmitter. The area grew rapidly in the 1870s as London expanded, and an iron church once stood on the same ground before the permanent structure was raised. Pearson’s design seats a thousand worshippers and follows the Gothic Revival style fashionable in Victorian Britain. The church is worth visiting for its architecture and musical tradition. Pearson’s exterior uses plain red brick with two turrets at the west end, and the interior features a tall clerestory and brick rib vaulting. A striking rood screen with five gothic arches and four statues spans the chancel, while a large rose window by Ninian Comper survived wartime bombing. The organ, built in 1882, originally had its console in the south choir aisle, causing technical problems that led to several rebuilds. The church’s fine acoustics have attracted classical artists for recordings and music videos. Inside, visitors find a cruciform plan with a long nave and transepts. The stone reredos and rood screen dominate the chancel, and the surviving stained glass includes Comper’s rose window. The organ’s console now sits in the north transept after earlier difficulties. The building has suffered subsidence, prompting restoration work supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Outside, the corner position offers views toward Crystal Palace Park and the Croydon transmitter.