St John the Baptist's Church, Chester

St John the Baptist’s Church stands on a sandstone cliff above the River Dee, just outside Chester’s medieval walls. Founded by Anglo-Saxons in the late 7th century, it became Chester’s cathedral in 1075 under Bishop Peter of Lichfield. The see moved to Coventry in 1095, and the church later lost its eastern wing during the Reformation. Restored in the 19th century by R. C. Hussey and John Douglas, it now preserves Norman masonry and later additions. The site is Grade I listed and holds Grade I status in the National Heritage List for England. The church’s history includes royal visits, military use, and architectural evolution. King Edgar held a council here in 973 after his coronation, rowed up the Dee by tributary kings. Owain Glyndŵr gave evidence in the Scrope v Grosvenor case here in 1386. During the Civil War it served as a Roundhead gun platform during the siege of Chester. The organ, built for Queen Victoria’s coronation, was later installed here and restored after vandalism in 2002. Inside, the nave and chancel show Norman work, while the reredos by John Douglas dates to 1876. The Lady Chapel holds monuments to the Warburton family. Fragments of Anglo-Saxon stone crosses lie within, and the east window’s stained glass is by T. M. Penson. Outside, ruined chapels and repositioned gravestones mark the churchyard, with the Anchorite’s Cell nearby. The church remains an active parish church in the Diocese of Chester.