St John's Chapel, London
The Chapel of St John the Evangelist (St John's Chapel) is an 11th-century Christian
History
St John's Chapel was built as part of the original layout of the White Tower, which was constructed in 1077–97 as a keep or citadel, being the oldest part of William the Conqueror's powerful fortress. Constructed from Caen stone imported from France, St John's has a tunnel-vaulted nave with groin-vaulted aisles and an east apse, above and around which curve the gallery.[citation needed] Thick, round piers support unmoulded arches, notable for their simplicity, with simple carvings of scallop and leaf designs providing the only ornament. The programme of decoration was expanded by King Henry III, under whose orders three stained glass windows were installed in 1240.
Services are held in the chapel periodically during the year.
From 1100 to about 1312, Knights of the Bath were inducted by the purification ceremony of taking a ritual bath, and held vigil here the night before a royal coronation. The knights would then escort the monarch from the Tower to Westminster Abbey the following day. The ceremony was likely later observed in the larger church subsequently established in the Tower ward.[2]
During the
References
- ^ "The Chapel of St. John's". Historic Royal Palaces. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ a b "St John's Chapel". Historic Royal Palaces. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
External links
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