St John’s Church

St John’s is a complete mid-15th century Perpendicular church, built about 1451. Situated on a narrow site between High Street and St Mary’s Street, most of the building is hidden behind later shops. There has been a church on the site since at least 1146, but nothing now exists of the earlier building. It is difficult to gain an impression of the whole church but the view from the bottom of St John’s Street is the best.

Inside, the church is tall and spacious with light, slender arcades that lead the eye up towards the beautiful angel roof. Angel roofs were popular in the east of England and here is Stamford’s most accomplished example. In the nave the angels lie horizontal to the roof, their great wings outstretched, each holding emblems including a crown, sceptre and musical instruments. In the chancel they sit up at an angle.

At the east end of the aisles are some exquisitely carved medieval screeds in the Lincolnshire style, full of rich architectural tracery and embellishment. The central section was removed to the north chancel arcade in 1856 and later to the opposite south side where it still remains.

The church contains many fragments of medieval stained glass in the upper panels of the north aisle windows and the east windows of the south aisle, rearranged and put there in 1974. The main windows are all Victorian, including the rather garish east and west windows by Oliphant (1856). The fine pews, designed by local architect Edward Browning, date from 1856.

Sir Malcolm Sargent, the famous conductor, was a choirboy at St John’s under his father, who was choirmaster and organist. He later learned to play he organ here.