Church Of St John The Baptist

SD 44 NW PILLING SCHOOL LANE

3/25 Church of St. John the Baptist 17.4.1967 (Previously listed as Church of St. GV II* John Baptist)

Church, 1886-7 by Paley and Austin. Snecked sandstone rubble with slate roof. Comprises a west tower with recessed spire, a nave with clearstorey and aisles, a chancel, south porch, north transeptal vestry and south organ chamber. The west tower has angle buttresses and a parapet with flushwork band, the infill being of red sandstone, a motif continued around the nave and chancel at clearstorey level. The bell openings are of 2 lights and have pointed heads with tracery. The west window is of 8 lights, having a pointed head with tracery. The south porch has diagonal buttresses and an upper storey with 2-light window and chequerboard pattern in flushwork. The door is moulded with a pointed head. The aisle windows are of 3 lights with flat heads, ogee heads to the lights, and tracery of various types. The east window is of 5 lights with free Perpendicular tracery. Interior has exposed sandstone masonry. The 5-bay nave arcades have octagonal piers with concave sides and moulded pointed arches. The chancel has one arch to the north and 2 to the south. The chancel arch is high, with a moulding dying into the responds. Arched buttresses span the aisles. The tower arch is also tall and moulded. The inner window arches to aisles and clearstorey are moulded. The open timber roof has raised tie beams, collars, and queen posts, with baluster infill on the outer sides of the queen posts. In the chancel are double sedilia with ogee heads and carved decoration. On the north side is a piscina. The east and west windows have late C19th glass. The north aisle glass is C20th. A fine example of the late Gothic Revival church with much originality in detail.

Listing NGR: SD4030548626