Event Details

St John's Church will be open for those in our community and beyond to come and look around, with an opportunity to follow our self-guided tour booklets, with a tour for adults and our special activity tour booklet for children. They've both been designed to work alongside each other, so you can make your way around church as a family.

You'll be guided through more than 150 years of our history and you'll find out all about why our church looks the way it does. You'll discover the mystery of our foundation stones, the memorials placed in memory of our first vicars and there'll be refreshments on offer in our halls. There'll be music at various times, including the chance to hear our organ, installed in the early 1900s but with parts dating from even earlier, played live.

You can learn about our stained glass windows and, if the sun's in the sky, see the light pouring through them. You'll marvel at our hammer-beam room timbers and remember those in our parish who lost their lives in times of conflict abroad.

We'd love to welcome you along to St John's Church for this special open day. There's no charge for admission or to follow the tours. Donations will be appreciated but not required or expected - we can take cash, contactless or Chip and Pin - but we'd rather you just came along and enjoyed the building. It's here for the community and we'd like you to get to know it better.

We'll also have copies of our history book available to buy, taking you through the background of our parish, churches, schools and the people who have been part of their story. You can also sign our visitors' book and make your mark as part of the history that's still being made today.

Maybe you came here or to our schools as a child, perhaps you were part of Sunday School or Campaigners, or were you or your family members married or baptised here? Whatever ties you may or may not have to St John's, you're welcome to come along.

You don't need tickets or a booking, you can turn up on the day at any time and stay for as long as you like between 11am - 4pm. There'll be people around to try and answer any questions you might have, but, if you'd prefer to look round by yourself or just sit in peace, feel free!

Timetable
11:00am - 4:00pm
- Church open for general viewing
- Self-Guided Tour with booklet
- Information points around the Church
- Family activity trail
- Photograph slideshow on screen
- Church History Book 'In This Place' on sale
- Refreshments available
- Historical displays around the church and hall
- Sign our visitors' book
- Pre-recorded music will play at various times
- There will be times with no music for silent browsing
- Live music at various times

Travel Information
Rail Strikes

If you were planning to travel to St John's by rail, please be advised that our nearest station, Thatto Heath, is served by Northern rail services which will be impacted by industrial action on the date of this event.

It is anticipated that no rail services will be available to or from Thatto Heath, or other stations on the route between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western, on the date of this event. This includes Eccleston Park, Thatto Heath and St Helens Central.

You may wish to consider alternative transport arrangements.

Please check with rail operators for the most up to date information.

More Information

St John's Church - Facebook Event Page
St John's Church - Eventbrite Event Page
The Eccleston Team - Eventbrite Event Page





Please note: this is not the same weekend as the national 'Heritage Open Days' initiative as unfortunately church is unavailable on these dates this year.