Group Of 10 Chest Tombs Immediately To South And South-East Of Tower Of Church Of St John The Baptist

A group of 10 chest tombs, dating from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century, is located immediately to the south and south-east of the tower of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ruyton-XI-Towns. These tombs are made of sandstone ashlar.

The group includes a row of five closely spaced tombs aligned north-south, with another two on the same alignment immediately to the west, and three additional tombs a few meters to the south-east. The five tombs in the row feature moulded plinths and capping, with a combination of fluted and plain corner pilasters, and carved floral motifs on the ends. The top ledgers of these tombs bear inscriptions commemorating local families, with dates ranging from 1780 to 1805. The northernmost tomb has an inscription panel on its north face in memory of Richard Basnett of Wykey, who died in 1796, and is flanked by floral emblems, with fluted fans in the spandrels.

The two tombs to the west also have inscriptions on their top ledgers, with the southern tomb dated 1739 and the other illegible but likely from the same period. The three tombs to the south-east, dating around 1800, feature a mix of fluted and plain corner pilasters and chamfered top ledgers, with recessed semi-circular inscription panels on the long sides and oval-shaped discs on the ends.