St John's Orthodox Church (former Garrison Church)
St John's Orthodox Church, Military Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2AN
This Grade II* listed building is located on the edge of Colchester's former Victorian military garrison. It is a huge timber church, which could at one time hold 900 people.
The Church was purpose-built in prefabricated sections, held together with 12-inch bolts, by the firm of Charles and Thomas Lucas, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk. This company was the contractor for the New Camp of Colchester Garrison in 1855 and were involved in building many well-known structures, both military and civil, of the Victorian Age, including the Royal Albert Hall. Four buildings were built to the same iron and timber panel design as the Colchester Garrison Church. These included the Garrison Churches at Aldershot and Catterick, both since destroyed by fire. Part of the fourth building, the railway station in Felixstowe, Suffolk, still stands.
The last military service in the church took place on Sunday 8 April 2007, and the building is now the home of an international parish of the Romanian Orthodox Church and its Metropolia of 677 churches. St John's is attended annually by 5,000 Orthodox Christians of 25 nationalities. It is administered by the East of England Orthodox Church Trust (Charity No. 1081707), which cares for seven multinational parishes of Orthodox in the City of Colchester, the East of England and beyond.
Timings & Tours
- Saturday 14 September:
- 1530-1630
Location & directions
St John's Orthodox Church, Military Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2AN
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
