On the fifth day of Christmas, York St John gave to me…

5 campus chapels

Ask most people how many chapels we have at York St John, and most will probably say two, the original chapel built in 1851, that stands next to the quad, and the ‘new’ chapel completed in 1966.

However, most people forget that the ‘new’ chapel, the chapel of St John the Evangelist, that was built in 1966, actually has three smaller chapels inside.

The main chapel itself was built in what is known as the brutalist style of architecture, a postmodern form of expressionism conveying moral seriousness, one of the features of which being the bare exposed concrete that can be seen inside the chapel (which is also replicated inside the De Grey building)

As you enter the chapel through the main outside doors, there are 2 sets of doors both to the right, and the left, the doors on the left as most people will know, lead into the main body of the chapel itself, the door on the right however leads to the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, a space used for private contemplation and prayer, which is always open.

Inside the main body of the chapel, there are two spaces to the left and the right of the alter, to the left is the St Margaret of Dunfermline Chapel, the saint adopted by Ripon College. To the right is the Water of Life Chapel, which includes a stained glass window designed by former student Cathy Nutkins. As well as being used for smaller services and group sessions, the St Margaret of Dunfermline chapel in particular is also used for music rehearsal. The main body of the Chapel is noted as having some of the finest acoustics in the city, and as such is regularly used for musical presentations.

The Chapel was also afforded listed building status in the early 2000’s.