Church of St John

Church of St John

Parish church built in 1868 by the architects R. C. Clarke and Son for Messrs. Machin and Foljambe. The building is designed in the Decorated Revival style.

The exterior is constructed of rockfaced ashlar with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The building features a moulded chamfered plinth, buttresses, moulded string courses, moulded eaves and corbel table, and a balustrade. The gables are shouldered and coped with kneelers and crosses. Gargoyles are positioned throughout. Windows are lancet form with shafts featuring foliate capitals and hood moulds. Doors are similarly detailed with hood moulds and stops.

The plan comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, north porch, north and south aisles, an organ chamber and vestry. The west tower is buttressed and rises in two stages, crowned with four pinnacles and a broach spire with two tiers of lucarnes. The moulded west portal has shafts and a shouldered doorway with inscribed tympanum. A foundation stone and single lancet window appear to the south, with a stair turret to the north. The first stage of the tower has single lancet windows to the west and south, and a clock to the west. The second stage features a double lancet bell opening on each side. The clerestorey contains five triple lancets on each side.

The chancel comprises two bays with two double lancets on each side. The east end has a triple lancet window and above it a vesica piscis. The five-bay north aisle has a porch to the west and four double lancets. The single-bay north porch has a moulded doorway with clustered shaft responds and stiff leaf capitals, with a single trefoil opening on each side. The organ chamber has a moulded doorway to the north and a blocked double lancet to the east. The vestry has a square-headed triple lancet to the east and a shouldered-head doorway to the south. The south aisle has five double lancets and a similar lancet to the west. The west porch features a segmental-headed doorway and rib vault on imposts.

The interior features nave arcades with four clustered piers bearing various foliate capitals and quatrefoil bases. Arches are chamfered and rebated with hood moulds. A sill band runs below clerestorey windows with shafts. The roof is king post form with cusped arch braces and shaft responds. The tower arch is chamfered and rebated, fitted with a traceried timber screen dated 1912. The chancel arch is roll moulded with triple shaft responds and hood mould. The chancel has a single arch on each side with clustered responds. The east end has linenfold panelling with a matching reredos. The roof is arch braced with principal rafters and single responds.

The north aisle east end features traceried panelling of approximately 1938 and an arch to the organ chamber. The south aisle has a timber screen forming a vestry at the west end. Multiple windows throughout contain 19th and 20th century stained glass.

Fittings include plain pews, panelled traceried oak stalls, a panelled oak pulpit on an octagonal ashlar base, a brass eagle lectern on a ringed shaft dated 1898, and a font with chamfered inscribed plinth, granite shaft with four minor shafts, and a square bowl with recessed figure panels and corner shafts, fitted with a traceried panelled cover. Memorials comprise a war memorial window and brass, two 19th century brasses and a single 20th century brass.