Church Of Saint John

The Church of St John is a parish church dating to 1847-1848, designed by G G Place of Nottingham, with 20th-century additions. It is constructed of ashlar with steep-pitched slate roofs and is in the Early Decorated style. The church comprises a chancel and vestry, a nave, a south porch, and a central tower with a spire.

A moulded plinth and sill band run around the exterior, along with coped gables topped with crosses. The windows largely feature pointed arches, tracery, and hood moulds with stops. The two-bay chancel has stepped diagonal buttresses topped with pinnacles at its east end, and a three-light window. The south side has two two-light windows, and the north side a single light window. The vestry has two segment-arched windows to the east and a similar door to the west. The three-bay nave features two two-light windows to the south and a single lancet to the north. A larger two-light window is at the west end, with a single-storey addition on the north side dating to the mid 20th century. The south porch has a chamfered doorway with a hood mould.

The square tower, over three stages, has stepped angle buttresses to the north and south, string courses, and a corbel table. The lower stages have single lancets to the north and south, while the bell stage features a two-light pointed arched opening on each side. The broach spire is octagonal, with two tiers of lucarnes and three tiers of crockets.

The interior is rendered, with scissor-braced roofs in the nave and chancel. Under the tower are double-chamfered arches to the east and west, supported by corbels, and a cross-beam ceiling. The chancel has a segmental pointed door to the north and a stained glass east window, dated 1848. The nave has a similar west window, also dated 1848, by Willement, and two stained glass windows on the south side, dating to 1982. A 20th-century double door is on the north side.

The church contains a Decorated style octagonal ashlar font and pulpit, along with simple wooden benches, stalls, and desks, all dating to 1848. A wooden lectern was added in the mid 20th century. Royal arms in a quatrefoil are displayed, dated 1848. A marble and slate war memorial tablet, from around 1920, is also present. The church was originally provided as an estate church for workers on the Belton estate by the Brownlow family of Belton House.