Church Of St John The Evangelist

Church of St John the Evangelist

This is a substantial parish church of multi-period construction, spanning from the pagan period through the 19th century, with major phases in the 7th, 11th, 12th, 14th, and 15th centuries, and further work around 1190, 1425, and 1831. The building underwent major restorations in 1831, around 1936, and 1967. It is constructed of coursed rubble and ashlar throughout.

The church comprises a tower, nave, north and south aisles, a north chapel, south vestry, and chancel.

The 11th-century tower was given diagonal buttresses between 1417 and 1443, and topped with an embattled belfry featuring eight crocketted pinnacles and a single central gargoyle to each side. The 11th-century portion rises in four stages, distinguished by different masonry treatments from base to top: coursed rubble, roughly dressed rectangular blocks, herringbone pattern, and coursed rubble interspersed with herringbone. Two string courses mark the stages, one square in section and the second at the junction of the 11th and 15th-century work, which is itself 15th-century. The west doorway originates from the mid-12th century but was moved here from the south in 1831. Its inner jambs and arch around the double wooden door are decorated with chevron. Either side are three engaged columns with volute capitals. The inner pair support an arch decorated with chevron on the front and soffit, separated by a narrow band of pointed roll moulding. The outer two support moulded arches. A hood mould with head label stops runs above. Above this is an opening with two cusped arched lights under a flat head with a hood mould. To the right is a small rectangular stair light. Above the west and east sides are single coupled 11th-century bell openings with lintels carved to form two arches separated by a plain shaft. The 15th-century belfry contains four three-light arched openings with cusping and hood mould. To the right of the west opening is a small rectangular stair light, and under the north and south openings are single 19th-century clock faces. The base of the 14th-century church cross abuts the south-west buttress.

The nave is flanked by aisles on north and south. Single coursed rubble 12th-century quoins abut the south and north aisle walls. The 19th-century north wall is buttressed with an embattled parapet set on a plinth, and features three windows to the 12th-century aisle, each with three arched and cusped lights under a flat head with a hood mould. The circa 1425 parapetted clerestorey with crocketted pinnacles, of coursed rubble leading to ashlar, has two arched windows each with three cusped lights.

The circa 1190 north chapel of St. Thomas à Beckett, restored in 1967, has a slate roof. An arched doorway with cavetto moulding and hood mould marks the entrance. To the left is an arched three-light window with cusping and hood mould. The east wall is of coursed rubble set on a plinth on the north side, and contains a single pointed arched window with a single similar smaller blocked window above. Below the bottom window is a chamfered string course broken by a headstone.

The chancel is of coursed rubble with embattled profile, featuring six crocketted pinnacles and a single ridge cross at its east end. The east wall has single gargoyles at the angles and is set on a chamfered plinth. The north wall contains a small blocked arched opening. The east wall displays a 15th-century arched five-light window with panel tracery and hood mould with head label stops. Against the wall are three stone memorials to the Wordsworth family (1790–1827), the Unwins (1812–1814), and dated 1819. The south chancel wall is buttressed and has an arched window with three cusped lights and hood mould. To the left, set on a plinth, is a projecting embattled 19th-century ashlar porch with arched doorway and hood mould. Over the inner arched, cavetto-moulded 14th-century priests' doorway is a re-used asymmetrical pagan stone carved in relief with a sun, moon, and two stars under a semi-circular moulding, with a later cross carved into it. Outside in the spandrels are carved fan-shaped sprays, and above is a carved shield. West of the porch is the 19th-century south vestry, set on a plinth with embattled parapet and an arched window with three cusped lights and hood mould.

The angle-buttressed 1831 south aisle has an embattled parapet and single crocketted pinnacles at the angles, set on a plinth with three arched windows each with three cusped lights and hood mould. The parapetted clerestorey with two crocketted pinnacles has three arched windows each with three cusped lights and hood mould.

Interior

The nave and aisles are separated by three-bay arcades. The mid-12th-century north arcade has moulded arches supported on round piers with capitals decorated with volute leaves; the south arcade is an 1831 imitation. The 11th-century moulded tower arch with angle and soffit roll is supported on the east side by two pairs of engaged shafts with bell capitals decorated with lancet-like leaves and cable moulding fillets. A hood mould runs over with label stops, the southern example decorated with lancet-like leaves. The west, earlier 7th-century arch with square edges rests on imposts. The restored 12th-century chancel arch jambs consist of single square piers with single engaged columns carved out of the corners halfway up. The scalloped capitals have ball decoration on the north abaci and interlacing on the south impost, supporting the double-chamfered arch. The late 12th-century north aisle/north chapel arch is off centre and is supported on two keeled shafts with plain capitals. The north chapel/chancel arch has late 12th-century keeled roll moulding and is supported on keeled shafts, the east one bearing volute decoration on the capital. Between nave and north aisle is a large opening. The north nave wall has an arched deeply splayed 11th-century opening above the arcade. The chancel north wall has two deeply splayed 11th-century arched openings. In the north chancel wall is a chamfered arched tomb recess. The south chancel wall has two arched piscinas and the organ recess. Above the tower arch is a 20th-century gallery. The chancel roof is supported on carved corbels. The nave and north aisle roofs have 15th-century heraldic bosses restored around 1936.

An 11th-century stone high altar lies against the east chancel wall. The north aisle contains the 1170 altar of St. Thomas à Beckett with a lead seal. The south aisle has a 12th-century stone altar with incised crosses. The font is 12th-century. The north aisle contains a 16th-century wooden chest with metal fitments and an iron chest inscribed "Carlton in Lindrick R. P. Goodenough Rector J. Whitehead Church Warden 1813". The pews, pulpit, and associated furnishings are late 19th-century. Iron brackets for hanging the Maid Garlands flank either side of the tower arch. On the east wall of the north aisle is a 15th-century alabaster carving of The Holy Trinity. The east window in the north chapel has 15th-century stained glass. On the north wall of the south aisle is a brass plaque to Elizabeth Catherine and Richard Letwell dated 1792. On the north chancel wall is an 18th-century monument decorated with a broken pediment containing a cartouche. On the south chancel wall is a hatchment inscribed G.IV Rex. On the south nave wall are two further hatchments: one of Ramsden quartering Smyth of Heath Hall, Yorkshire, dated 1753, and one of Ramsden impaling Appleby of Wooton, Lincolnshire, dated 1783.