Church Of St John The Baptist

Church of St John the Baptist

A parish church of Late 12th century and early 13th century date, with significant additions and modifications through the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and restoration work undertaken in 1902. The church is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, and is roofed with Collyweston slate with stone coped gables.

The building comprises a nave with a western bellcote, aisles on both north and south, transepts to north and south, and a chancel.

The west end is of early 13th century ashlar with a stepped plinth, corner buttresses and a taller central buttress. This central buttress supports a gabled twin opening bellcote with a central gabled pilaster having roll moulded angles, round headed bell openings and blank pointed arcades to the corners and sides.

The north aisle is of squared rubble and contains a single chamfered segmental headed doorway flanked by single 14th century style windows of 1902 restoration. The 15th century north transept has a large four light north window with cusped ogee heads and embattled panel tracery, and on the east wall a similar three light window. The north wall of the chancel contains a blocked opening and a 14th century style two light window in a rectangular surround with cusped ogee heads. The early 15th century chancel east window has four cusped lights with panel tracery. The south wall of the chancel has two windows matching those to the north.

In the south transept, the west wall contains a three light 14th century window with cusped ogee heads and rectangular hooded surround, with an oval wall plaque dated 1807 to its left. The south wall has a further three light window with reticulated tracery and pointed surround. The south aisle wall contains a 14th century door with a concave chamfered pointed surround featuring human and animal heads, with a moulded hood decorated with ballflowers and human head stops. To the left is a 14th century style two light window.

The interior has a three bay late 12th century north arcade with single chamfered round arches, chamfered imposts and waterleaf capitals to circular piers. The west respond of the south arcade is early 13th century, circular and with hob nail decoration, while the rest of the south arcade is of mid 13th century date with octagonal piers, moulded capitals and double chamfered pointed arches. The eastern respond displays fine naturalistic foliage carving.

In the south transept is a four centred arched doorway to the rood loft, a 14th century ogee headed piscina and a statue bracket. The north transept contains a further ogee piscina and an aumbry. The end trusses of the early roofs are preserved in both transepts. The chancel arch is a recut 13th century double chamfered arch with octagonal imposts and capitals.

The north wall of the chancel contains a blocked 16th century hollow chamfered cambered headed doorway and an aumbry. The south wall has a 13th century trefoil headed piscina. The fittings throughout are of 19th century date except for a 17th century octagonal font with depressed fleur de lys to the sides of the bowl.

The church contains numerous monuments. At the west end of the nave is a mid 14th century stone coffin lid with a cross fleury from which sprouts a man's head beneath a trefoil arch. In the north transept are a small recessed rectangular moulded panel with cornice containing a brass to Francis Harrington dated 1577, and a small brass plaque to Elizabeth Harrington dated 1597 with a shield of arms. In the west wall is a fine limestone wall monument to members of the Michel family dated circa 1673, comprising a recessed rectangular inscription panel with moulded architrave containing arabesques surmounted by a segmental pediment with escutcheon and beneath a cartouche of arms.

In the north aisle is a white marble wall plaque in a classical aedicule with side scrolls and broken segmental pediment with arms to Elizabeth Halford dated 1694. In the south transept is a limestone wall plaque to Catherine Wimberley dated 1716, having double semi-circular headed inscription panels with cherubs in a composite pilastered surround with broken pediment, cartouche of arms and flaming urns.