Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a Neo-Classical church constructed between 1802 and 1811, designed by John White. In 1896, the original portico was infillled to create a chancel. The church is built of ashlar gritstone with ashlar dressings, and has a slate roof with stone stacks. The plan is cruciform.

The west front features four giant Doric pilasters topped by a broad pediment. A central doorway is set within a moulded ashlar surround with a hood and double panel doors with an overlight divided into five round-headed lights. Flanking the doorway are single windows with glazing bars, and above, three circular windows. The tower rises from above the western pediment, supported by a square base and a cupola; this has four round arches with panelled pilasters between, and balusters. Above is an octagonal panel stage with ball finials and a copper octagonal dome with a finial. The south front has a projecting centre topped with a pediment, and a single round-headed window in a moulded surround. Similar round-headed windows are found on either side, and beyond are set-back ashlar sections with giant pilasters and moulded door surrounds, the one to the left being blind, and the one to the right containing double panel doors. The north front mirrors the south front. The east front displays the former portico, now in-filled, with giant square corner columns and circular columns in antis. A central round-arched Venetian window with a full overlight is flanked by blind round-headed windows with narrow slit windows, all linked by a sill band; below each outer window is a segment-headed window. The entire front is topped by a broad pediment inscribed "MDCCCXI".

The interior is plain, featuring pilastered walls and a coved plaster ceiling. There are no aisles but shallow transepts. A baptistery was added in 1876. A west gallery with wooden supporting columns was introduced in 1911. The chancel incorporates decorative mosaics and "opus sectile" side panels to the altar, dating from 1902. Fittings include a pulpit designed by Henry Currey in 1867, a font from 1875, and a reredos from 1896-7. The carved choir and clergy stalls have wrought-iron brackets in the form of ram heads. An organ by W Hill was installed in 1897. Stained glass windows, two on the north side by CE Kempe (1897-1903), and one on the south side (1920), along with the east window, are reputed to be by Kempe and Co. Three memorial tablets commemorate the Duke of Devonshire’s agents. The northwest window is reputed to be original.