The Church of St John the Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist. . Chester's oldest church this has been a site of christian worship for nearly thirteen centuries and the present building has stood for more than 900 years., Throughout its long history, the ancient church of St. John's has undergone many changes. Inside and around the church you can still see the architectural clues which tell the story., Saxon Church , Tradition says that King Ethelred I of Mercia founded a church here in 689. Some 9th century crosses displayed inside the church date from the time when it was an important Saxon minster., Norman Cathedral , Between 1075 and 1102, St. John's was the cathedral church of the Bishops of Chester. Over two centuries It was rebuilt on a scale worthy of a Norman cathedral. The magnificent Romanesque and early Gothic Interior to only part of what was once a much larger church., The Eastern Ruins , After the Reformation St. John's became a parish church. In the east end was cut off from the main body of the church and now survives as ruins outside the building., Medieval College of Canons , Until the Dissolution St. John's was a collegiate church, served by a college of secular priests who ministered to a wide area. The Dean, Canons and other clergy all had houses around the church., Victorian Rebuilding , From the outside St. John's looks like a Victorian church. It was heavily restored in the 19th century The original medieval porch had to be rebuilt after the great North West Tower collapsed in 1881., Today , St. John's is an active parish church. It is open dally and you are very welcome to look around inside.