The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, The Royal Chapel Lychgate - St. John's, Isle of Man. - Lychgates and Depositories on Waymarking.com

This lychgate can be found on the north side of the Main Road in St. John's at the southern entrance to the churchyard of the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in St. John's.

The lychgate is of a very simple modern style without ornamentation. the gate is built on a simple wooden frame with a steeply pitched orientated side-to-side. The entrance forms a break in the dry-stone wall which surrounds the churchyard.

Despite is modern design it fits in well with the granite built Gothic Style Church.


This church is located on the site of an early keeil which was built around the time of arrival of Christianity on the Island. The oldest documentary evidence of a chapel on this site dates from 1557 although is likely that a there was a chapel here before that time.

At the time of Bishop Wilson in the late 17th Century the church was described as being in a ruinous condition and it was Bishop Wilson who initiated the rebuilding of the chapel.

Until the 19th Century the church was used principally as a Court House.

The church as it exists today dates from 1852 when the chapel was completely rebuilt with money provided by the British Government and public appeal.

the current church was built of granite from quarries on South Barrule and is in the 13th Century Gothic Style. It was designed by the Richard Lane and built by Benjamin Lane of Manchester in northwest England.

'The tower is 100ft high; the length from the tower to chancel is 85ft; the transepts 53ft; and the width of the naive 22ft. The Chapel seats 300 people.' (Extract from 'The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, The Royal Chapel': A brief history and guide. This available at the cost of £2 inside the church).

The church has been the parish church of the Parish of St. John's since 1949.

The west door of the church leads directly onto the processional way up to Tynwald Hill.

(visit link)

Source: 'Churches of Mann' by Jonathan Kewley (ISBN: 978-1-899602-82-7)

Year: 1979 Cemetery Address: The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, The Royal Chapel Main Road, St. John's, Isle of Man, IM4 3NA. Link to Church or Cemetery: [Web Link]

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