Central section of St John’s
St John the Baptist Church, on Clarendon Park Road, is the parish church of Clarendon Park. It is an Anglican Church (Church of England). There is far too much to say about its history in just one post, but I would like to share with you a few pictures and facts about its earliest days.
St John’s was built in 1884-1885 by architects Goddard and Paget of Leicester, funded largely by a gift of £6,000 from Miss Sarah Barlow (more about her some other time). It was built as a chapel of ease in the parish of St Mary Magdalene, Knighton, and only became parish church in its own right in 1917. The parish minute books show how pleased the then vicar and churchwardens were, as it considerably simplified the financial running of the churches.
Joseph Goddard also built Leicester’s clock tower, in 1868. Here is an excellent site about the Goddard empire. St John’s was designed in the Victorian gothic style. I think it is fair to say that it is considerably more imposing on the inside than the outside. The level of detail is astonishing and the overall impression is of grandeur and awe. 
Here is one of Goddard’s original designs for the railings that used to top the front boundary wall (which you can see in the photo above have been removed…probably as part of the war effort). Luckily the attractive gate still stands. Leicestershire Records Office holds all the original designs, and they are beautiful in themselves.
St John’s is often open 9am – 3pm on weekdays and it is well worth a visit even if you are not a practising Christian. There is a lot more to say about St John’s but some other time! In the meantime, check the Index page of this site for several more articles about St John’s. Regards, Elizabeth.
Yourhistories.com: Clarendon Park 
I am now 68 years of age and live in Australia. I was in the St. John’s church choir in the 1950’s as a boy chorister and became Head Choirboy. Mr. Cooper was the organist(and a fine one at that!) and The Rev. Harris Harris-Evans was the vicar. I was also a member of the Youth Club which met weekly at the nearby church school. My time in the choir served me well as I still sing and now compose music and songs in retirement. If anyone has any memories or photos they care to share, please email me.
Tony Madison (nee Messer)
poppa-madison-music@excite.com
Hi it’s me back again. Emails can now be sent to me at armadbox@hotmail.com
I forgot to mention that in the 1950’s Ian Molyneux was the St. John The Baptist Church Youth Club Leader. He was a great guy who made everyone feel welcome. He was the son of the owner of Molyneux Electrical in Queen Street and he married the older sister of my first girlfriend Christine Turner then of 60 Craighill Road. Christine was a gifted pianist who went on to study at the London Royal Academy of Music.
The caretaker at the School of St. John The Baptist was Mr.Shakespeare, who I dubbed “Lip-Kisser Will” as he had a propensity for kissing schoolgirls full on the lips. Such behaviour today would have quickly seen him behind bars as a child molester !
In my early teens I did a morning paper round for Jack Copping Newsagent. He had a Boxer Dog which he would order to run way away from him the blow on a special DOG WHISTLE he carried to summon it back.
The whistle generated sound at a frequency above the level of human hearing…so you can imagine what people thought of seeing Jack standing in front of his shop blowing what to them appeared to be a soundless whistle! However they were rudely awakened when his Boxer came bounding up behind them to frighten the living daylights out of them…..much to Jack’s great amusement!
My 5am bike ride delivering newspapers door to door was hell in Winter to endure…but it paid 2 Shillings per week, which was then for me a princely sum. With that and the occasional Singing Performance as a Chorister at St John’s Church at Funerals and Weddings which also paid two bob a time, and the odd Lawn Mowing job I got for such as Mr.&Mrs.Salmon just down the road from the church….I was able to afford to treat my girlfriend to Welsh Rarebit on toast with Tea and back row seats for two at the cinema in Welwyn Garden Road!
Whenever we went there we would get friendly cat calls from my many schoolmates. In fact I can remember even going to cinemas in town and having the same experience. Being the Juvenile ignorami we then were, everyone was into puffing away on Consulate Mint flavored cigarettes which would be freely thrown by friends from row to row whenever one’s currently mouthed cigarette had burned out.
In those days the “Consulate…Smooth as a mountain stream” interval ads had all of us running to the ice cream popcorn sweets and smokes kiosk as if our lives depended upon keeping “Lit up with a Fag”.
Ain’t ignorance a terrible thing ?
Sorry, I put the wrong suffix on my email address. The correct one is below.
J
I have an old photo of a choir boys camp, a little before your time I think.
Fred Allt was the choirmaster a.nd my brother was in the choir.
I can recall most of the boys name in the photo and as I am in my 90th year I guess only the youngest on the photo would still be alive.lI
If this is of any interest to any one I will gladly get it copied and sent off.
Tjbm25@gmail.comhe name Scattergood comes to mind as a vicar or simillar at the time..
My husband and I were married at St Johns in 1952 My brother Norman a year or two later