The parish of St John the Baptist is a large housing estate established in the
1950s. The church was not built until 1963, so for several years the
parishioners had to make do without a dedicated place of worship. Between 1954
and 1956, while the estate was still in development, local residents worshipped
at the local school. The weekly service was shared between Christian
denominations.
In January 1956, St John’s Hall, which now stands to the east of the church, was opened and dedicated as
a multi-purpose building. One of its uses was as a place of worship, and an
altar was positioned in a recess on the east wall. The wooden font that now
stands in the porch of the church was among the furnishings of this building
before it was moved to the church on the west side of the parish.
