Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St. John the Baptist is a parish church with a history spanning the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, with significant additions and a restoration in the early 17th century, 1794, and 1876-77 by Bodley & Garner. The building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, set beneath plain tiled and slate roofs featuring stone coped gables. It comprises a western tower, nave, chancel, south porch, north aisle, and vestry.

The four-stage, 14th-century tower has a plinth, chamfered string course, embattled parapet, and single water chutes to the north and south sides. The west wall features a re-cut lancet window, while the belfry stage has paired ogee-headed lights within a chamfered surround on all sides. The north aisle has a slate roof and a 2-light 19th-century window. The north wall presents three triple-light windows with 16th-century flat heads, hood mould, and four-centred arches to each light. The vestry, originally a north chapel, has a door with a cambered head and a single chamfered surround with a hood mould. Adjacent to the door is a single 2-light window similar to those in the north aisle. The east wall of the vestry contains a 19th-century 4-light window with ogee heads to the lights. The entire east end of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century. The east wall of the chancel has two lancets, with a recessed quatrefoil light above, set within a moulded surround. The chancel’s south wall features a 19th-century lancet and a re-cut 14th-century 3-light window with cusped ogee heads to the lights. The nave’s south wall has two 19th-century 2-light windows with flowing tracery. The 19th-century south porch has a two-centred outer arch and side lights, and a double-chamfered south door.

Inside, a three-bay 16th-century north arcade is characterized by octagonal pillars and responds, double-chamfered arches with hood moulds. The 14th-century tower arch displays octagonal responds and capitals, with a single moulded and hollow chamfered head. An archway without capitals leads from the north aisle into the former north chapel. A double-chamfered 16th-century chancel arch has octagonal responds and crude capitals. Within the chancel’s north wall is a double-chamfered 16th-century arch to the north chapel, with matching capitals. Further east, an aumbry is visible with a central mullion. The chancel’s south wall incorporates a semi-circular headed piscina with rudimentary dogtooth decoration. Surviving fittings include a carved 17th-century chest and a contemporary settle with a carved back, although most other fittings, including the font, are 19th-century. Two fine brass inscribed armorial wall plaques are located in the chancel’s north wall, commemorating Catherine Bolles (died 1644) and Sir John Bolles (died 1648). Glass in the chancel dates to 1887. The north aisle windows were rebuilt in 1877, and it is believed they may have originated from the demolished Scampton Manor House.