Church Of St John The Baptist

SO 28 NE MAINSTONE C.P. CHURCHTOWN

3/234 Church of St John 21.3.68 The Baptist

GV II*

Parish church. 1887, on an earlier site and incorporating earlier fabric and fittings. Snecked rock-faced limestone (coursed rubble to north) with sandstone ashlar dressings; stone slate roof, plain tile to south. Late C15 Gothic style. 3-bay nave, 2-bay chancel, south porch and north vestry. Large buttresses with 2 set-offs, parapet between nave and chancel; western bellcote projecting as buttress to west with weathering at roof level, set-off to pair of square-headed bell-openings and set-off to gable. Nave: square-headed windows with chamfered reveals and 2 trefoil- headed lights; trefoiled ogee-headed lancet to west with chamfered reveals; central south doorway with chamfered arch and pair of boarded doors; stone south porch with inventive timber framed gable-end consisting of chamfered ogee arch-braces with pierced quatrefoils in spandrels and cambered tie-beam with king post above; double-framed roof and side- benches inside porch. Chancel: trefoil ogee-headed lancets with chamfered reveals; east window with 3 ogee-headed lights; lean-to vestry to north with cinquefoil-headed window to west and boarded door to north with chamfered surround. Interior: C15 six-bay nave roof with arch-braced collars, cusped V-struts, moulded bases to arch braces, 2 pairs of moulded purlins, 3 tiers of cusped windbraces forming quatrefoil panels, and blind ogee-arcaded panelled frieze above wall plate; 3-bay C19 or-restored C15 chancel roof as nave with arch-braced collars, V-struts, moulded purlins and cusped windbraces; double-chamfered chancel arch has short shafts with carved-head corbels and foliated capitals, and hoodmould with carved heads as stops; chamfered-arched boarded vestry doorway; ogee-arched north piscina. Fittings include: restored C12 tub font with C19 base and cover; Cl7 communion table; Cl7 parish chest; painted C18 Royal Coat-of-Arms above chancel arch; early C19 painted commandment and creed boards; C19 octagonal stone pulpit with pierced ogee panels; C19 wrought iron communion rails; 2 late C18 wall tablets; C20 neo-Rococo organ case. The stone from which the parish is said to derive its name is kept in the church; it has been suggested that it was used as the measure for a bag of wheat (20 lbs plus 4 ½ lbs for the bag). The church is Grade II* on account of its fine C15 roof. Cranage, Vol.5, Pp.447-8.

Listing NGR: SO2646387347