Parish of St John the Evangelist, Waterloo Road, Lambeth , Church of England

Parish of St John the Evangelist, Waterloo Road, Lambeth , Church of England

The church of Saint John the Evangelist on Waterloo Road was constructed using funds allocated by the Commissioners for Building New Churches in 1822. These Commissioners had been established by an Act of Parliament in 1818 for the building of new churches in populous areas, particularly around London which was expanding rapidly. The site for the church was purchased from the Archbishop of Canterbury on marshy ground; the advice of John Rennie was sought regarding the foundations. On his recommendation piling was used under all the walls, which still remain strong. An imposing classical design by architect Francis Bedford was chosen. The church was consecrated in November 1824. Renovations and repairs were carried out in 1885 and again in 1924.

A parish school was constructed in Exton Street as soon as the church was finished. In 1844 a new church, All Saints, was constructed to provide more church accommodation in the area, and the parish was taken out of that of Saint John. However, it was demolished to make way for Waterloo Station, and the parishes were merged again. The churchyard was made into a public garden in 1878, although some monuments still survive to the front of the church.

Information from 'Church of St John the Evangelist, Waterloo Road', Survey of London: volume 23: Lambeth: South Bank and Vauxhall (1951), pp. 32-36.

Royal South London Dispensary: The dispensary was founded in 1821 for the benefit of the poor people of Lambeth, Southwark and Newington. Its premises were situated at Saint George's Cross, Southwark opposite Bethlem Hospital. The dispensary closed in June 1917 owing to lack of the necessary financial support. The minute book was handed over to the Revd. E. G. Gordon, Vicar of Saint John, Waterloo Road, for safe keeping. Other records were to be sold or otherwise disposed of.