St Johns' House, Sherborne

St Johns' House, Sherborne
Type	Almshouse
Location	Sherborne, Dorset
Coordinates	50°56′45″N2°31′02″W / 50.9459°N 2.5171°W / 50.9459; -2.5171
Built	1438
Architectural style	Vernacular
Governing body	Brethren of St Johns' House
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Hospital of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist
Designated	28 November 1950
Reference no.	1110827
Location of St Johns' House, Sherborne in Dorset

St Johns' House is an almshouse in Sherborne, Dorset, England. Dating from the mid-15th century, it is a Grade I listed building.

History

The almshouse at Sherborne was established in 1438 with construction taking ten years. It was designed to accommodate 12 poor men and four poor women. The occupants slept in sex-segregated dormitories, the two-storey design of these being an unusual feature of the building. ^{[a] [2]} A refectory, chapel and meeting room were also provided. ^[3] The patron was Robert Neville, Bishop of Salisbury. ^[4] In 1866, receipt of a substantial donation enabled considerable expansion of the house. ^[2]

In the 21st century, St Johns' faced increasing viability challenges, exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[5] The communal style of living at the house made it difficult to attract tenants and the maintenance costs related to a Grade I listed building had greatly increased. The trustees' response saw some residents being asked to relocate and some staff being made redundant. ^[6] In 2024, following a consultation, the trustees announced plans, in conjunction with Sherborne Abbey, for the remodelling of the site to provide for up-to-date accommodation for residents. ^[7] The first new tenants moved into a redeveloped property on the site in 2025. ^[8]

In 2025, following an evaluation, the trustees determined to sell a triptych held at St Johns' since the English Reformation. The work's central panel depicts the Raising of Lazarus and an analysis suggests it was completed c.1480 in Brussels by an unknown Flemish artist. Proceeds from the sale, which has an estimate of £2.5-£3.5M, will fund further development at St Johns'. ^{[9] [10]}

Architecture and description

St Johns' House was originally built to an L-plan, with the large eastern range and cloister being added in the mid-19th century reconstruction. ^[3] The south range was also altered at this time. ^[2] The architect was William Slater, a noted practitioner of church restorations. ^[2] In the Dorset volume of the Buildings of England series, revised and reissued in 2018, it is described as "delightfully picturesque". ^[2]

St Johns' House is a Grade I listed building. ^[3]

Gallery

• 
  The St Johns' triptych - centre panel
• 
  The left panel
• 
  The right, outer, wing
• 
  The left, outer, wing
• 
  Portrait of Ralph St John Ainslie, a college servant

Notes

1. Communal life at St Johns' was not invariably harmonious; after receiving a fine for misbehaviour one 17th century brethren, a Walter Ridout, "spake many undecent speeches and high words .... he sayd Mr. Hele of Clifton had never a hound of a bigger mouth than the Steward Mr. Wright had". ^[1]

References

1. Gourlay 1967, p. 5.
2. Hill, Newman & Pevsner 2018, p. 540-542.
3. Historic England. "Hospital of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist (Grade I) (1110827)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 16 November 2025.
4. Gourlay 1967, p. 1.
5. "Sherborne: Almshouse facing uncertain future". BBC News . 19 February 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
6. Taylor, Mike (3 March 2023). "Residents to leave as Almshouse hit by cost of living crisis". Dorset Live. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
7. "Looking forward to new future with Sherborne Abbey". St Johns' House. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
8. Jones, Paul (14 January 2025). "First new accommodation completed at Sherborne Almshouse". The New Blackmore Vale Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
9. Grierson, Jamie (14 November 2025). "Almshouse in Dorset discovers its 15th-century Flemish triptych is worth £3.5m". The Guardian . Retrieved 16 November 2025.
10. White, Marcus (14 November 2025). "'Big surprise' as Sherborne almshouse artwork valued at £3.5m". BBC News . Retrieved 16 November 2025.

Sources

• Gourlay, A. B. (1967). A Short Guide to the Almshouse of SS. John, Sherborne (PDF). Sherborne: The Brethren of St Johns'. OCLC   80798253.
• Hill, Michael; Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2018). Dorset. The Buildings of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-300-22478-8.