Church Of St John The Baptist

KNUTSFORD

SJ7478 CHURCH HILL 792-1/3/13 (South East side) 18/01/49 Church of St John the Baptist

GV II*

Parish church. 1741-4. By J Garlive. Chancel 1879 by A Darbyshire. Brick with stone dressings and slate roof. PLAN: west tower, galleried nave expressed as 2 storeys, shallow chancel. EXTERIOR: 4-stage west tower with west doorway with round-arched window over, round-arched bell chamber light in upper stage, and clock below. Modillion brackets to parapet, which is swept between urns on angles. 2-storeyed nave with stone plinth, angle quoins and string course, the parapet alternating solid and balustraded panels. 4 round-arched upper windows, 3 below, with doorway to SW in pedimented case with rusticated architrave, and round-arched inner door. Similar NW doorway. Tripartite window to shallow chancel, which is flanked to the north by organ chamber possibly a somewhat later addition, and by late C20 work to the south. INTERIOR: nave with classical arcade of 4 bays, Tuscan columns on high bases carrying semicircular arches. Gallery to west, north and south with wood panelling. High console brackets articulate squared chancel arch. Low stone wall with cast-iron rail and integral wood and cast-iron pulpit divides the chancel. Wood panelling to chancel probably a late C19 addition, a classical style with dado and cornice, divided by fluted pilasters. STAINED GLASS: triple window to east, with stained glass of 1861, representing the Baptism of Christ. Windows in north and south aisles form a series in a similar Renaissance style depicting Old and New Testament scenes, dated 1868, 1895, 1919 and 1921 and signed, Heaton Butler and Bayne. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-).

Listing NGR: SJ7524778522