Opened in 1844, St John's Hale was designed by Benjamin Ferrey (1810-1880), a pupil of the famous architect Pugin. The church was founded by Bishop Charles Sumner (1790-1874), Bishop of Winchester, whose official residence was Farnham Castle and who, with his wife, Jennie, lies buried in the churchyard, below the East wall.

It may look older than it actually is, being built in the Romanesque style prevalent of the late 11th Century. The eye of the traveller is first attracted to the distinctive tall round bell tower, rising above the south eastern corner of the nave. Inside relatively simple round arches mark out the main body of the church. Outside, the stone walls, built of Limestone clunch held together with yellow mortar, give the whole building a soft golden glow.

A fine graveyard surrounds the church, where some notable people are buried. There are some fine trees, especially yew and cedar. Near the traffic lights on the A325 there is a wall constructed of locally quarried ironstone dating from 1897 which has recently been restored.

The church is usually open during daylight hours throughout the year and regular services are held each week. You will find a warm welcome amongst the congregation on a Sunday morning at our Eucharist. Children are welcomed, too, and we have a Sunday School that runs concurrently with the 9:30am service. St John's is a good example of an historic building that is the spiritual home to a living, praying congregation drawn from the local community.

Here are a selection of pictures of the outside of the church (see here for picture navigation instructions):

Here are a selection of pictures of the inside of the church: