StJohn'sChurchyard
Pugin greatly respected the dead and strongly believed in treating them with dignity and respect. The churchyard contains a number of memorials designed by Pugin, many belonging to the workers and stonemasons who were employed in the creation of the surrounding buildings. On some of these memorials, the tools of their trade are displayed.
To the west of St John's is a stone cross which features the four Evangelists represented as an angel, lion, ox and eagle. Surrounding the cross are the graves of several priests who served at the church.
One of the most unusual and arguably unique features of the churchyard that Pugin designed is a pair of outside toilets. Sitting on the edge of the valley, this small building constructed in a mix of red and white sandstone houses two stalls, one with a small window providing a panoramic view of the valley beyond.
TheCloister
The cloister is home to a number of brass memorials, including those dedicated to the Countess' parents, who died in Alton, and the 15th Earl.The windows on the south side of the cloisters each contain a roundel of sixteenth -century grisaille glass of either Flemish or German origin. Pugin sourced the medallions along with several others, which were also installed in his own church, St Augustine's, in Ramsgate.
Pugin began collecting antiquities and relics of medieval architecture from the young age of 12 and continued to do so throughout his life. Not only did he closely study and reference these artefacts, but he also incorporated many of them into his buildings and designs.
Warden'sTower
Completed in 1842, the three-storey tower to the south of St John's provided lodgings for the churchwarden. Above the front door is an effigy of St John, and the label stops on either side depict likenesses of the 16th Earl and Countess.The tower also served as the main entrance when the chapel was in use as a schoolroom as well as providing access to the cloisters and sacristy.
