St Marie Cathedral
Sheffield, Yorkshire
The cathedral is easy to miss and almost seems hidden away, which gives you a clue to its origin.
It was one of the original six churches built by the Sheffield Church Burgesses spreading out from the cathedral as the city of Sheffield grew larger.
St John’s is well worth a visit, with many things to see. The large worship area is built with no pillars or columns, an amazing feat in 1834. The spire is visible for miles around and fans of modern architecture will be fascinated by the octagonal hall added at the end of the 1960’s, a masterpiece of concrete style!
In 1990 (at the time of the World Student Games) the church was reordered, with a bright new colour scheme. Wooden pews were replaced with comfortable chairs and the organ was moved onto the balcony.
The First World War memorial has recently been restored to its original glory and the church has a lovely stained glass window, which is taller on the outside than it is on the inside.
The graves in the churchyard date back to the 1830s. St John’s Ministers have included many well known ‘firebrand’ vicars with a heart for the ordinary honest Sheffield folk.
You can be assured of a warm welcome at this city church.