The St John’s That Might Have Been

St John’s Cononley could have looked very different today.

In the spring of 1914, plans were approved for a substantial enlargement of the church. The scheme would have extended the building eastwards and provided much-needed additional seating.

The plans were never carried out.

Within months, Britain was at war.

A church needing more space

By the beginning of the twentieth century, St John’s had been serving Cononley for around fifty years.

The church had been consecrated in 1864 and Cononley-with-Bradley had become a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1871. Over the following decades, the church and its worship had continued to develop.

By 1914, there was a desire for more room.

A proposal was therefore drawn up to enlarge St John’s.

Extending the east end

The scheme was considerably more ambitious than simply rearranging the existing interior.

The east wall of the church was to be moved approximately 15 feet further east.

The chancel screen and chancel would also have been moved eastwards as part of the enlargement.

The result would have been a significantly larger church, providing approximately 60 additional seats.

Had the work gone ahead, the proportions of St John’s would have been permanently changed.

Approved in April 1914

The proposal reached an important milestone on 14 April 1914, when the Annual Vestry Meeting approved the scheme.

At that point there was every reason to imagine that the enlargement would become another chapter in the development of the Victorian church.

But events far beyond Cononley were about to intervene.

Less than four months later, Britain entered the First World War.

War changes everything

On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany.

Across the country, ordinary plans were abandoned or postponed as communities adjusted to the demands of war.

The proposed enlargement of St John’s was one of them.

The extension was not built.

What had seemed a realistic development in April belonged to a very different world by August.

What would St John’s have looked like?

We can know something of the intended alteration from the description of the scheme.

The church would have extended approximately 15 feet further east, with the chancel and its screen relocated into the new space. Around 60 more worshippers could have been accommodated.

What the surviving historical account does not allow us to do is reconstruct every architectural detail with certainty.

Unless the original drawings can be found, we cannot know precisely how the enlarged east end would have looked, what changes would have been made to its windows and decoration, or exactly how the additional space would have been arranged.

But its effect on the building would have been substantial.

Standing outside the east end of St John’s today, we can imagine the church continuing another 15 feet.

It very nearly did.

A plan overtaken by history

There is something particularly poignant about the date on which the scheme was approved.

14 April 1914.

Nobody attending that Vestry Meeting could have known how dramatically life would change before the end of the summer.

The extension of St John’s became one small local casualty of a conflict which transformed communities throughout Britain and brought immeasurably greater losses to families in Cononley itself.

After the war, the scheme was not revived.

St John’s remained essentially the size it had been before 1914.

The church we inherited

Church buildings often contain evidence of what previous generations added to them.

Occasionally, however, their history also includes what was planned but never happened.

The unbuilt extension of 1914 is part of that story.

Had events taken a different course, the St John’s we know today would have been longer, larger and capable of seating another 60 people.

Instead, the outbreak of war froze the church at a particular moment in its architectural development.

The extra 15 feet exist only on paper and in imagination: the St John’s that might have been.

10/09/2026

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Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome

If you're new to church, new to the area, returning after some time away, or simply wondering whether church might be for you, you are very welcome at Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

You don't need to know what to do, what to say or even what you believe. Just come as you are. Our churches are places where people can worship, ask questions, find friendship and explore faith together.

We are one parish with three churches: St Andrew's Kildwick, St John's Cononley and The Bradley Church. Each is a little different, but wherever you join us, we hope you will find a warm welcome.

Find our Sunday services

What are we about?

At the heart of our life together is Jesus Christ and his call to love God and love our neighbour.

For many years we have expressed our mission in four simple words:

Sharing, Caring, Growing in Christ

In Christ

Everything begins with God's love for us in Jesus Christ. We don't come to church because we have everything sorted out. We come to worship, to pray, to learn and to discover more of what it means to follow Jesus.

Growing

Faith is a journey. None of us has all the answers, and there is always more to discover. Through worship, prayer, the Bible and one another, we seek to grow in faith and in our understanding of God.

Caring

Following Jesus means caring for one another and for the communities around us. We seek to put God's love into practice through friendship, compassion, service and care for our neighbours.

Sharing

The good news of Jesus is something to be shared. We want to share God's hope, love and peace through what we say, but also through how we live and how we serve others.

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This is reflected in our vision for the parish:

Living out our faith, rooted in service; embracing everybody equally.

We want these to be more than words. They describe the kind of Christian community we are seeking to become.

What happens if I come on Sunday?

You don't need to book or let us know that you're coming. Just turn up.

Our services vary across our three churches. Some are traditional celebrations of Holy Communion, while others are more informal. You can find the time and location of this week's services on our Sunday Services page.

When you arrive, there will usually be someone to welcome you and give you anything you need for the service. You are welcome to sit wherever you like.

Don't worry if you aren't familiar with the service or don't know when to stand or sit. Just follow along as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. Nobody will mind if you get something 'wrong'.

See our Sunday services

Do I need to be a Christian?

No.

You might have been a Christian for many years, be returning to church after a long time away, have lots of questions, or simply be curious.

You don't have to have faith sorted out before coming to church. Exploring, questioning and sometimes doubting are all part of the journey.

Whatever your background, faith or spiritual beliefs, you are welcome.

What should I wear?

Whatever you normally wear!

There is no dress code. Some people dress smartly, others come in jeans and trainers. Come in whatever makes you comfortable.

What about children?

Children and families are very welcome at our churches.

We know that children make noise, move around and don't always behave like adults, and that's absolutely fine. Please don't worry about having to keep them perfectly quiet.

We also have activities especially for children and families throughout the year.

Find out about Children & Families

Will I be expected to give money?

No.

There may be an opportunity to give during or after a service, but visitors should never feel under any pressure to contribute. Please simply be our guest.

Can I receive Communion?

If you normally receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are welcome to receive with us.

If you would prefer not to receive Communion, you are still very welcome to come forward for a blessing, or simply remain in your seat. There is no pressure either way.

Accessibility

Accessibility varies between our three historic church buildings. You can find specific access information on each church's page, or please contact us if we can help you plan your visit.

Getting involved

Coming to a Sunday service is only one way to be part of our parish.

Throughout the week there are opportunities to meet people, pray, learn, sing, serve our communities and simply spend time together. Have a look at our What's On pages to see what might interest you.

You can also sign up for our weekly email newsletter to find out what's happening across Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

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Still have questions?

Please get in touch. It doesn't matter whether your question is about a service, accessibility, children, faith, or simply which of our churches might be right for you.

We would be very happy to help.

Contact Us

A word from Mike

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I'm Mike Green, the Vicar of Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

Finding your way into a church for the first time can sometimes feel daunting, particularly if you're not sure what to expect. I hope you'll discover that you don't need to know the right words, understand everything we do, or have all the answers before you come.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your journey of faith, there is a place for you here.

I hope we'll have the opportunity to welcome you in person soon.

Best wishes,
Revd Mike