Church Of St John The Evangelist

SO 46 SW; 5/54

SHOBDON CP, SHOBDON PARK, Church of St John the Evangelist

11.06.59

GV

I

Parish church. Probably C14, rebuilt 1752-1756 for Richard Bateman. Coursed rubble with slate roof. C14 west tower, nave, transepts and chancel C18. Gothick style rebuild.

West tower of two stages with crenellated parapet, battered plinth and string course. Belfry has window in each wall of one segmental pointed light. West wall has window of two pointed lights below the belfry. C18 west door has an ogee head and label, with engaged columns to responds. Above is a trefoiled window flanked by two smaller windows. Boarded door has applied strips forming hexagonal decoration. Nave of three bays with crenellated parapet and three windows: two ogee lights under an ogee head containing a quatrefoil, with labels. Transepts have crenellated gables, south and north windows of three ogee lights under a four-centred head containing two quatrefoils with an ogee label. Chancel: blind to north and south with 3-ogee-light east window under a four-centred head with ogee label. Interior of tower has a coved plaster cornice and a plain stone staircase leading to west gallery. Ogee-headed east door with door similar to west door. Nave has west gallery of 1829 supported on two slender Corinthian columns, the front of gallery has quatrefoils to panels. Between each window there is an ogee headed Gothick plaster panel bearing a memorial. Coved and enriched cornice . Transepts separated from nave by three pendant ogee arches with triple engaged columns to the responds. The south transept, the family pew, has a large marble Gothick fireplace. Chancel arch of similar tripartite design with a finial to central arch. The north and south walls each have two trefoil headed stone Gothick panels. East window has a plaster architrave. Fittings: tower has, two memorials on south wall, a stone cartouche to John Handford, died 1678, and an oval panel with enriched border, scrolled side pilasters and pediment, to Ann Chaplin, died 1684. Nave has C18 pews with elaborate ends pierced with quatrefoils at top and an ogee-arch below. Pews in transepts divided off by C18 wrought iron railings. Pulpit is a three-decker, with main pulpit under an elaborate sounding board and red velvet hangings, reader's desk with bend ends similar to the pews, and pierced back with crocketted finials, and a lectern. Altar rail with enriched moulded handrail. Chancel also contains two Gothick arm chairs. The south transept has six Gothick chairs with ogee backs. Font in crossing is C12 with four lions around the column supporting a simple bowl. Hereford school style carving. C18 font in north aisle has an octagonal bowl on an octagonal pier and moulded plinth. C12 arches and tympanum were relocated in C18 to form the Shobdon arches (qv). This church is an outstanding example of the Gothick style.

Listing NGR: SO4011462844