SurreyCATERHAMVALLEYStJohnEvangelist(TonyRispoliCC-BY-SA2.0)1

St John the Evangelist

St John’s church community cares for the people of Caterham Valley, offering a warm welcome to visitors.

Caterham Valley, Surrey

Opening times

Sundays at 10am, 4th Sunday at 10 and 8am, Thursdays at 10am.

Address

Clareville Road
Caterham Valley
Surrey
CR3 6LA

St John's has been the parish church of Caterham Valley since 1882 and founded the nearby St John's CofE Primary School. We have always played a major part in the community life of the Valley.

The church is a Grade II listed building in Bargate Stone by William Basset Smith in the Decorated Gothic Revival style.

It contains several interesting memorials to local people in stone, brass, wood and glass. The Memorial Chapel contains the memorials to those of Caterham Valley who fell in the two World Wars. Wreaths are laid on Remembrance Sunday each year.
The windows are mainly of high quality Victorian stained glass which creates an impression of beauty and colour. The east window, by an unknown designer, has Art Nouveau influences.
The organ was built in 1870 by JW Walker & Sons of London, who were responsible for some of the finest organs of the late 19th century. It was built with two manuals and there are 2,300 pipes in all. The special quality of the instrument is the wide variety of tones it can produce, from its quiet flute tones to its fiery reeds. It is suitable for a very wide variety of music. It came from a church in Eastbourne originally.
There is a fine ring of eight bells. The bells were cast by various manufacturers, the oldest in 1723 by Robert Phelps from an original bell of 1672. The Bells were installed in 1975 having originated from St Mary’s Lambeth, when this church was turned into a museum.

St John’s is an inclusive church and is part of the Inclusive Church Network. We are a church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, ability, race or sexuality. We want to do all we can to make our worship accessible, user-friendly, relevant and inclusive, whilst at the same time holding fast to, and celebrating, the historic traditions of the Anglican Church.

We have approximately 8,500 parishioners with an average 55 in attendance at weekly services. More than 40 volunteers take on a range of roles from leading the parish to supporting worship and welcome, pastoral care and maintaining our building and grounds.

Key features

Captivating architecture
Enchanting atmosphere
Spectacular stained glass
Wildlife haven

Facilities

Car park at church
Dog friendly
Parking within 250m
Ramp or level access available on request
Space to secure your bike
Train station within 250m
Walkers & cyclists welcome
Wifi

Regular events

The church is regularly used for a variety of events apart from the familiar round of Sunday and weekday services, children's services, baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, and the occasional privilege of an ordination service. Every Sunday, the service is live streamed.
A wide variety of music and drama is featured at St. John’s, the acoustics generally being described as excellent for music. This includes Munch with Music held on the 1st Wednesday of each month except January, August and September, with more than 55 attendees on each occasion. Local schools, uniformed organisations and Caterham Overseas Aid Trust (COAT) also make good use of the facilities for worship and celebration. In addition, an annual memorial service is held for all who have been bereaved.
We take part in Heritage Open Days and previous events were attended by 100-200 people.
St John’s also supports: an active Mothers’ Union, Church Bellringers, a number of community groups/activities that use our church hall including Rainbows/Brownies/Guides/Rangers, dance class, and children’s parties.
Volunteers from the church also run a regular “Hear, Here” Hearing clinic with refreshments, support and advice.
Youth provision includes two regular youth groups: the Green Club, with its focus on ecological living and preserving wildlife, and the Games Café. These are free to attend and offer a space for young people to socialise, create, express themselves and have fun.
St John’s outreach in the local community extends, too, to children and families. There are a number of free events for them throughout the year, including an Easter Party, a Light Party, and Christingle-making. Every week in the summer holidays and then regularly throughout the year, St John’s offers Forest Church sessions.