Church Of St John The Baptist

SO 74 NW MATHON C.P -

Church of St John the Baptist 1/95

6.3.67

• II*

Church. Late C11 - C14 with C19 alterations. Old red sandstone, tiled roofs. 2 stage C14 west tower, 5 bay nave, south porch, 2 bay chancel, vestry. Tower has diagonal buttresses and, above nave roof, corbelled projecting corners to north-east and south-east; contemporary leaded door with strap-hinges. Herring- bone masonry band below eaves level of nave for much of its length on both north and south sides. Directly opposite south door is a blocked Norman north door with rope-moulding to lintol and shouldered jambs. Lancets to north and cusped 'Y' tracery paired lancets, heavily restored to south wall. Blocked Norman semi-circular headed window to west of south porch. Timber-framed porch on stone plinth, probably C16, to south door, with acanthus spandrels to south lintol and raking struts to roof. East end of chancel has a pair of Norman windows with a roundel centrally placed above; trefoiled 2-light south window and semi-circular headed priest's door, heavily restored. South entrance to nave has rope moulding beneath plain typanum. Interior: nave has no arcade; deep splays to north windows. Roof, possibly C16, of 6 bays of arch-braced single-collar trusses with 2 rows of wind-braces, the lower ones cusped. 2 inserted tie-beams at about 1½ and 4½ roof bays from west end. Jacobean pulpit with C19 steps and balusters. C14 - C15 muniment chest with strap hinges and multiple locks. Floor monument to Allen Cliefe (sic) died 1752. No chancel arch, instead a tie-beam rests on C19 corbels. Chancel has deeply splayed east window, wagon roof with restored wind-braces; monument north of altar to Jane Walweyn, died 1617, consisting of deceased and husband kneeling at a prie-dieu. The nave roof structure shows great similarity to that of the Church of St James, Colwall (qv) even in respect of inserted, probably C17 tie-beams. Cliffe monument is a typical example of mis-spelling by an illiterate but otherwise competent craftsman.

Listing NGR: SO7336745846