Church Of St John The Baptist

LEA CP A 40 SO 62 SE

6/17 Church of St John the Baptist

GV II*

Church. Late C13, C14 and early C15. Extensively restored 1854. Sandstone rubble with tile roofs. Comprises a west tower with spire, nave, lower chancel, north aisle under a pitched roof, north chapel, and north porch. The lower stage of the tower is C13 and has a window of one trefoiled light to each side. The upper stage is C14 and has ogee bell openings of one light and is broached to a stone spire. The south wall of the nave is of three bays separated by buttresses. The outer windows have flat heads and trefoiled lights. The middle one is late C13, of two lights with cusped Y-tracery. In the south wall of the chancel are two trefoiled one-light windows and a priest's door with Tudor arch. The west window of the north aisle is of two trefoiled lights with pierced spandrel. In the north wall is a window of three trefoiled lights with flat head and hood. The porch is gabled and has an outer doorway with pointed arch chamfered in two orders. In the north wall of the chapel is a blocked doorway with Tudor arch. The chapel east window is of three trefoiled lights with Tudor-arched head. The east chancel window is of three cinque- foiled lights under a pointed head with Perpendicular tracery. Interior: three- bay arcade of chamfered Tudor arches springing from octagonal piers. Moulded capitals carved with grotesque animals, faces, and heads. Nave roof trusses have straight braces to collars and cusped V-struts. The pointed tower arch is plastered. The chancel arch is moulded and has semi-octagonal responds. The south window of the chancel has two C19 trefoiled inner arches with alabaster shafts and foliated capitals. The cinquefoiled piscina is also C19. The chancel has a boarded barrel roof. The Tudor arch between the north aisle and north chapel contains organ pipes and a re-set C15 screen with carved tracery decoration. The font, of C1200, is south Italian and was given to the church in 1907. The shaft is knotted in the middle and stands on an elephant. The capital is carved with four rams' heads. The bowl has a band of Cosmati work and is carved with scrolls and figures. (RCHM, p 99).

Listing NGR: SO6576321744