Church Of St John The Baptist And Boundary Wall

Church of St John the Baptist and Boundary Wall

A parish church dating from the 14th to 16th centuries, with significant restoration work undertaken in 1882, 1886, and 1894. The Lady chapel was restored in 1920. The building is constructed in ashlar, random rubble, and brick, partly rendered, with ashlar dressings and slate and felted roofs.

The church comprises a west tower, north aisle, nave, chancel, south aisle, and south porch.

The west tower dates to the 14th and 19th centuries and has two stages. It features a moulded plinth and two stringcourses, with pairs of gargoyles to north and south. The parapet is crenellated with four crocketed pinnacles. To the west stand a pair of angle buttresses with three setoffs, and to the east a pair of engaged buttresses with two setoffs. The west face contains a 14th-century chamfered and rebated doorway with hoodmould and close boarded door. Above this is a 14th-century chamfered and rebated opening with hoodmould containing a cusped-headed triple lancet with panel tracery. A clock dial sits above, with a single unglazed lancet to the south. The second stage has four 19th-century chamfered and rebated openings with label moulds containing cusped ogee-headed double lancets.

The north aisle dates to the 15th and 16th centuries and comprises four bays. It has a moulded plinth, lintel band, eaves band, and a band-moulded crenellated parapet with remains of two pinnacles. Diagonal buttresses are positioned at the corners, with two intermediate buttresses, all with two setoffs. A large central 19th-century rubble buttress is engaged with 20th-century brick and rubble outbuildings with pantiled roofs. All windows have square heads, rebated and splayed reveals, chamfered mullions, and hoodmoulds. The east window contains four 16th-century round-headed lancets. The north wall east window has three round-headed lancets, and to its right are two similar windows with four lancets. The westernmost bay contains a blocked Tudor arched doorway with hoodmould. The west window has three square-headed lancets.

The nave clerestorey comprises three bays with a moulded stringcourse and two gargoyles on each side. The crenellated parapet has remains of two pinnacles. Three 15th-century square-headed splayed openings on each side contain double trefoil-headed lancets.

The chancel east end is rendered and features a small central buttress with a pair of flanking buttresses, all with two setoffs. A moulded eaves band tops a gable raised in brick. The central window has a square head with chamfered and rebated reveal, containing a 19th-century quadruple lancet with a single row of reticulated tracery and moulded mullions.

The south aisle dates to the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries and comprises five bays. The three western bays are 14th-century, with a moulded plinth, eaves band, and two mutilated gargoyles. The crenellated parapet has remains of a single crocketed pinnacle. A single intermediate buttress and two diagonal buttresses are present, with the eastern one engaged with the eastern bays, all standing two setoffs high. The western bays contain a four-centred arched splayed and rebated opening with a cusped-headed triple lancet with splayed mullions, and a four-centred arched coved and rebated reveal containing a cusped, trefoil-headed triple lancet with splayed mullions. The easternmost two bays are 16th-century, with a moulded plinth, sill band, eaves band, and moulded crenellated parapet with remains of a single pinnacle. A single intermediate buttress and diagonal buttress to the east, both with two setoffs, are present. The south side has an off-centre four-centred arched moulded doorway with square hoodmould containing a 19th-century weatherstripped door. To the left is a square-headed cove-moulded and rebated reveal containing a 16th-century quadruple round-headed lancet with splayed mullions. To the right is a chamfered and rebated 15th-century Tudor arched opening with hoodmould and mask stops, containing a Decorated cusped-headed triple lancet with splayed mullions. The east end has a single round-headed cove-moulded and rebated opening with a cusped-headed triple lancet with splayed mullions, restored.

The south porch dates to the 14th century and features a moulded plinth and eaves band, with a moulded parapet and crenellated gable. The south doorway is chamfered and rebated with a pointed arched head and hoodmould. The interior contains stone benches with moulded octagonal corbels and a four-bay stone vaulted roof with chamfered ribs. The south doorway has a four-centred arched moulded opening and a 15th-century plank door with remains of traceried panels.

The nave north arcade is 14th-century, comprising three bays with two circular piers with canted square octagonal bases and moulded octagonal capitals. Moulded octagonal responds support low-pitched double chamfered and rebated arches. The south arcade is likewise 14th-century, with three bays, two octagonal piers with canted square bases, moulded octagonal capitals, and moulded octagonal responds. The arches are double chamfered and rebated. The clerestorey has three 19th-century square-headed splayed reveals on each side. The nave roof is 19th-century with very low pitch, featuring moulded tie beams and purlins with carved bosses.

The font is octagonal, dating to 1662, with a tapered octagonal stem and octagonal bowl. A 20th-century pulpit reuses pieces of 17th-century panelling. A 19th-century stem-type timber lectern and moulded pitch pine pews are present. The tower arch, 14th-century, was opened out in 1886 and has double chamfered and rebated work. It is flanked by substantial tower buttresses with two setoffs. Above are remains of moulded coping from the former nave gable. The opening contains a 19th-century three-bay traceried timber screen with a 20th-century plywood and glass screen above. To the west is a low doorway with a four-centred arched head. The north aisle has a square-headed splayed blocked doorway to the west. A classical-style memorial tablet of 1837 hangs to the north. The roof has moulded curved brackets to principal rafters with carved bosses; 19th-century work incorporates some 15th-century reused timber. Moulded 19th-century pews are present. A lead plaque removed from the roof of the south aisle dates to 1726 and features a triangular head with moulded border and fleur-de-lys ornament, inscribed with the names of churchwardens and dated 1726. The plaque also bears several hand and foot impressions incised into its surface.

The chancel arch is 14th-century, double chamfered and rebated with moulded octagonal imposts. It contains a five-bay timber screen of 1906, Perpendicular in style with a decorative cross of 1916. The chancel north arcade dates to the 13th and 14th centuries and comprises two bays with an intermediate rectangular support. The western bay is 13th-century with half-round imposts with moulded circular caps. The eastern arch is 14th-century, double chamfered and rebated with moulded octagonal imposts. The south arcade is 14th-century with two bays, featuring a central octagonal pier with canted octagonal base and moulded octagonal cap, and moulded octagonal imposts. This arcade contains a 19th-century timber screen, Decorated in style with twelve bays plus a doorway. The east end holds stained glass of 1886 and 19th-century timber framework, Decorated in style, with painted commandments on canvas. The roof is partly 17th-century, restored with chamfered tie beams and plain strutted kingposts, with close boarding. Fittings include moulded 19th-century benches, a chip-carved 17th-century chair, memorial brasses of 1884 and 1891, and a board describing ownership of the chancel. The south aisle's two eastern bays are enclosed by a 20th-century three-bay timber screen, Decorated in style, forming a chapel. In the south-east corner is a 15th-century square piscina. A brass war memorial of 1918 and a brass of 1920 are also present.

A boundary wall of ashlar and rubble with stone coping dates to the 18th century. To the west are ramps to moulded square stone gatepiers with matching caps. To the east stands a pair of timber posts with a 19th-century iron wicket gate. The wall extends along Middle Street, Church Street, and Vicar Lane for approximately 125 metres.