St John's, Beachley

Now redundant, this pretty little cruciform church is on the main Beachley road. Unfortunately there is no public access as it is now leased privately.

In 1833 a chapel dedicated to St. John was built at Beachley. It is a Gothic stone building, cruciform in plan, with a plainly furnished interior. The cost of the chapel was borne largely by James Jenkins, owner of Beachley manor, while there were also other subscribers and a grant from the Church Building Society. It was founded as a chapel of ease to the parish church, but it had a separate income from an endowment made by James Jenkins and from surplice fees and pew rents.

It had its own burial ground and was licensed for marriages in 1839. In 1850 the chapel became a parish in its own right and was granted a perpetual curacy, although it was still up to the Vicar of Tidenham to nominate the curate until 1865 when this right passed to the Bishop of Gloucester. The income, to which had apparently been added tithe rent-charges given up by the Vicar of Tidenham, was only £50 in 1856. The cure was served from 1833 to c. 1853 by Charles Henry Morgan of Tidenham House. It then remained vacant for a year or more owing to difficulties in acquiring a house for the living. From 1855, having acquired a residence which stood to the north of the ferry pier, there were resident perpetual curates for the next fifty years. From 1905, however, the living was held by the Vicar of Tidenham and in 1932 the two parishes were united once more. The curate's house was sold in 1920 and in 1969 became the Old Ferry Hotel.