Description
The church of St John of Jerusalem was built in 1848, replacing a chapel-of-ease of 1806-10 on the north side of Well Street that had become parish church for South Hackney in 1825 when the parish was divided into three. The original spire was lost during WWII, replaced by a new slender spire. The church is surrounded by its churchyard on a large island site with an alley of C19th plane trees, railed graveyard with C20th railings, headstones, and 2 handsome C19th monuments dedicated to the Hopewell and the Framington families. In 1904 footpaths and lighting were provided through the churchyard.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | South Hackney Parish Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Lauriston Road/Church Crescent |
| Postcode | E9 |
| What3Words | ///suffer.heave.dame |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted in parts; some parts behind railings. |
| Events | Concerts in church |
| Public Transport | Rail: London Fields. Bus: 277. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2015 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The present church of St John of Jerusalem, described by Arthur Mee as a 'splendid Gothic Revival church with an entrance porch like a French cathedral' was designed by Edward Charles Hakewill. The church, completed in 1848, replaced the earlier chapel-of-ease on the north side of Well Street as the parish church. This chapel, built in 1806-10 to serve South Hackney, had become the parish church in 1825 when the large parish of Hackney was divided into three; now demolished, its burial ground remains at St Thomas's Burial Ground (q.v.). The original stone spire of St John of Jerusalem was lost during World War II and replaced with a slender copper spire designed by N F Cachemaille-Day, architect to the Diocese of London, who undertook other church restoration projects in Hackney, including St Mary New Church in Stoke Newington.
The church is surrounded by its churchyard on a large island site with an alley of C19th plane trees, railed graveyard with C20th railings, headstones, and two handsome C19th monuments dedicated to the Hopewell and the Framington families. It was consecrated in 1831 and closed for burials in 1868, the churchyard's mid C19th coursed rubble wall with freestone coping remains although the railings are no longer in place. In 1904 footpaths and lighting were provided through the churchyard which had 'become a nuisance to inhabitants' having been 'trespassed and at times put to scandalous use'. The churchyard has C20th holly, and mixed trees.
The church is surrounded by its churchyard on a large island site with an alley of C19th plane trees, railed graveyard with C20th railings, headstones, and two handsome C19th monuments dedicated to the Hopewell and the Framington families. It was consecrated in 1831 and closed for burials in 1868, the churchyard's mid C19th coursed rubble wall with freestone coping remains although the railings are no longer in place. In 1904 footpaths and lighting were provided through the churchyard which had 'become a nuisance to inhabitants' having been 'trespassed and at times put to scandalous use'. The churchyard has C20th holly, and mixed trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ356841 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Hackney Parks Service |
| Dates | 1845-48 |
| Designers | Church: E C Hakewill |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Church of St John of Jerusalem; LBII: wall around churchyard |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Victoria Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Originally known as Cassland Road Gardens these gardens date from the 1850s when Cassland Crescent was laid out on the northern side of Cassland Road by the Trustees of the Sir John Cass Estate. In 1858 the Cass Estate asked tenants of the Crescent to contribute towards enclosing the garden and sought tenders for iron railings. It is thought that the lawns, lime and London plane trees date from that time. Post WWII, the Governors of Sir John Cass's Foundation leased the gardens to Hackney Borough Council, to be maintained as a public amenity. In July 2021 the gardens were renamed Kit Crowley Gardens as part of Hackney's Review, Rename, Reclaim project. Kit Crowley's name replaced that of Sir John Cass, who was director of the Royal African Company, an English slave trading company that trafficked enslaved Africans for profit in the late C17th.
Well Street gets its name from a spring that was once here. Well Street Common was previously part of South Hackney Common, which was owned by the Lord of the Manor of Hackney and used for agriculture. As the area was becoming built over, 180 acres of Hackney's common land was saved from development following a local petition and campaign in the 1860s, which led to its preservation for public use. All these lands were transferred to the MBW although it wasn't until the 1880s that the rights were purchased from the Lord of the Manor. Common rights were extinguished by an Act of Parliament 1884. Well Street Common was laid out with paths, seating and some planting and has mature horse chestnut and plane trees.
By the early C18th there was a small Sephardic Jewish community in Hackney, and in 1786 a group of Ashkenazim, on behalf of the Hambro Synagogue, purchased land on the east of Grove Street, the former name of what is now Lauriston Road. The Jews Burial Ground opened in 1788, then called Grove Street Cemetery. In 1870 both the grounds and buildings were improved, including new entrance gates, renovation of tombs and planting of trees and shrubs. It was closed to burials in 1886. Little changed in intervening years, the cemetery retaining its C19th lodge, iron gates and railings, and numerous headstones and chest tombs set in grass among trees. There are plans to build a new synagogue here on the former carriage drive next to the lodge.