Listed Building record MDR12577 - Church of St John the Baptist, Buxton Road, Ashbourne

St John's Chapel is a massive stone building, consisting of a semi-circular chancel, spacious nave, with two aisles, and a west tower containing a clock and one bell. It was erected by Francis Wright, and was opened in 1871 as the Ashbourne Free Church of England. (1) A church that was built in the 1860s. It has been built in the Norman style, and has rusticated masonry. The tower is prominent in the town scene. The interior has barrel vaulting, and the nave and aisles are divided by round-headed arches supported on slender cast iron pillars, with capitals, bands and plinths. The east end has similar engaged pillars. All the listed buildings on the East Side of Buxton Road form a group at the north entrance to Ashbourne. (2) St John's Church was built in 1871 to accommodate a congregation that had spilt off from that at St Oswald's church (SMR 306). It has interior pillars of cast iron. It was built by Francis Wright of Osmaston Manor, who was a director of the Butterley Company ironworks and who provided the ironwork for St Pancras Station in London. (3)