Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a parish church dating to 1872, designed by Ewan Christian. The design incorporates fragments from the mid-12th century. The church is constructed of green sandstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with decorative red ridge tiles, stone coped gables, and cross finials. It comprises a nave, a south-west porch tower, and a chancel with a vestry. A plinth runs around the entire building. The west window features plate lancets with a cusped oculus and a hood mould. The north side of the nave has two single lancets to the right and a single window to the left with two plate lancets and a quatrefoil. The west side of the vestry has a doorway with a Caernarvon head and plank door, and a single lancet is located in the north side of the vestry. The east end of the chancel has three lancets, the central one being taller, with a continuous hood mould and label stops. A single lancet is on the south side of the chancel. The south side of the nave has a single plate window to the right, with two lancets and a quatrefoil, and another single lancet to the left. The south-west tower has single lancets on its east and west sides; its south side features a pointed doorway with a continuous chamfered surround, a hood mould, label stops, and a plank door, above which is a single slit light. The upper storey of the tower is octagonal, broaches, features eight small lancets, and has a pyramidal roof with a finial and weathervane. Inside the porch, a 19th-century south doorway has a pointed moulded head, angled, chamfered jambs with triangular stops, and a plank door. A segmental arch of 12th-century chevron is re-set above, with a similar smaller section of chevron above the outer doorway within the porch interior. Fragments of a 19th-century cross head and a 14th-century gabled buttress are set off on window ledges. The interior features a 19th-century pointed, double chamfered chancel arch, with a corbelled inner order featuring turned capitals and abaci. A pointed north vestry door has a continuous chamfered surround and a plank door. An early 18th-century altar-chest with fielded panelled sides is present. Further interior features include a 19th-century altar rail, lectern, and pulpit, along with an ornate stone reredos with Caernarvon headed panels containing the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments, a roundel with the Lamb of God, and small square plaques with various motifs. A 20th-century font and pews are also present. Four stone monuments, with urns and aprons of various designs, commemorate Thomas Ball (died 1805), Thomas Ball (died 1819), Thomas Ball (died 1835), and John Ball (died 1845). A 16th-century German roundel of stained glass has been incorporated into a 19th-century stained-glass window in the north nave window.