Whitchurch Town Trail: St. John's Street

This short street leads northwest from its junction with St Mary’s Street (opposite the Heritage Centre) to meet Brownlow Road. It was originally called Bear Garden Lane, and referred to by this name by John Eddowes in his estate survey of 1676. It is shown as St John’s Street on the 1761 Town Map, but in other places as St John’s Lane.

The Wesleyan Schools, off St John’s Street, opened in 1862.

The Smithfield: ‘The present Smithfield was opened on 19th November 1877. There are two entrances for animals, in Brownlow Street and St John’s Street, and space occupied is 2¼ acres.’ (TC Duggan, 1935).

The Millennium Edition of Whitchurch Remembered (WHAG, 2000) illustrates the Smithfield in operation in 1939 (p.100) and the retail premises that replaced it during the late 1970s (p.101). Lewis’s Saddler’s Shop (founded 1920) is shown as it was in 1938 (p.102) with the four maisonettes called Saddler’s Court that replaced it (p.103). A modern block of flats now stands on the site of a former 17th century timber-framed cottage (p.104, 105).

What else went on here?

The Poor Law Valuation Book 1827, using the street name St John’s Lane, lists 23 rateable properties:

House, or House and Garden (18)
Two Gardens
Brewhouse
Garden
Stoneyard
Stable (2)
Barn

Records of two local businesses:

William Bright, baker and grocer, traded in St Mary’s and St John’s Streets between c.1881 and 1891, following his father’s trade based at No 9, High Street.

William Ledsham, grocer, at No 19 High Street in 1872 had moved to No 1, St John’s Street by 1909, and also became a corn factor.

Listed Buildings

South-east side: Number 21
North-west side: St John’s Methodist Church

Number 21
Red brick two-storeyed house, built c.1840. Central front door with Ionic stone doorcase.

St John’s Methodist Church
Built 1879 in a late 13th or early 14th century Gothic style, with a three-stage 100’ foot steeple. Cost over £5,000 to build. Clock manufactured by JB Joyce of Whitchurch.

More about the Wesleyan Methodists in Whitchurch

According to TC Duggan: A History of Whitchurch, Shropshire (1935):

Congregation seems to have started c.1750.

John Wesley visited Whitchurch five times: August 1762, March and July 1773, April and May 1781.

First Chapel at the back of two cottages 26 and 28 Claypit Street where Wesley is known to have preached.

1810: Chapel opened in St Mary’s Street (now the Heritage Centre), preacher Rev Thomas Coke.

1879: Closed for worship and used as an auctioneer’s offices.

Present Chapel built with the Minister’s house adjoining, and opened April 1879, preacher Dr Pope.

Stained glass memorials in transepts and east windows to Joseph Walford, Thomas Lythgoe, Samuel Venables, Mary Beckett, William Smith and Joseph Savage.