Church Of St John Baptist

Church of St John Baptist

Parish church with a late 12th-century core that was extended and remodelled in the early 14th century, with a west tower added in 1515 and the north aisle rebuilt in 1854. The building is constructed of coursed and squared large stone blocks with ashlar dressings. The south aisle has a lead-covered lean-to roof, while the north aisle has a clay tile roof with shaped tile bands and coped verges. The plan comprises a west tower, a 3-bay nave, a 3-bay chancel, north and south aisles, and a south porch.

The west tower, dated 1515, rises in three stages. It features a Tudor arch west doorway with a moulded surround, returned hoodmould, and a board and battened door. Above the doorway is an inscription (now illegible) with the date. The pointed west window above has a deeply hollowed recess containing three trefoil-headed lights with a central cinquefoil-headed light above, and its hoodmould terminates in animal heads. A string course marks the second stage; the west side is blank while the south side has paired pointed loops and a clock above, with a further clock on the north side. The belfry openings consist of two trefoil-headed lights with super mullions above flanking a quatrefoil, topped by a hoodmould. The tower is finished with a crenellated parapet with corner and central pinnacles and gargoyles to the north and south sides, all featuring diagonal buttresses.

The south aisle dates from the early 14th century and contains two windows: the eastern one has three lancet lights under a pointed arch with a hoodmould terminating in animal heads, and the western one features intersecting tracery. A central gabled porch of around 1600 is buttressed on each side, featuring a round arch and door. The original late 12th-century south door survives here, flanked by nook shafts with a water leaf capital on the left and a scalloped capital on the right. These support a round arch decorated with pellets and three-dimensional zig-zag ornament; these elements may have been re-set.

The north aisle was rebuilt in 1854 and contains three windows. The eastern and western windows have two ogee trefoil-headed lights with a quatrefoil above, both with hoodmoulds stopped with heads. The central window is inspired by the eastern south aisle window and has a hoodmould terminating in leaf motifs.

The chancel dates from the early 14th century and retains a scalloped 18th-century parapet returned up the east gable. The north and south windows feature Y-tracery with hoodmoulds terminating in busts, except for the eastern and western windows on the south side where the hoodmoulds are simply returned. The central window on the south side is flanked by multi-cusped gabled buttresses, while the central window on the north side has a roll-moulded rather than chamfered mullion and is flanked by gabled buttresses with fleur-de-lys decoration. The east window has three ogee-headed lights with reticulated tracery above and a hoodmould terminating in busts. Diagonal buttresses flank both east corners; that to the north-east corner matches the buttresses on the north side, while that to the south-east corner matches those on the south side. The parapet features a string course and a late 18th-century shaped parapet, with a lead rainwater head on the south side.

Interior

The nave arcade comprises three round arches. Those of the south arcade stand on cylindrical columns with square abaci, whereas those of the north arcade are clustered columns forming a quatrefoil plan with octagonal abaci. The capitals are mainly of volute design; the capital at the west end of the south aisle features carved faces, and there are also a scalloped capital and a broad leaf capital elsewhere. The early 14th-century pointed chancel arch springs from semi-octagonal engaged columns with moulded capitals and has chamfered jambs and arch. A tall, pointed tower arch with chamfered jambs and arch connects the nave to the tower.

The 20th-century nave roof has a very low pitch with a cambered tie beam supported on short braced beams projecting from wall plate level, a ridge piece, and a single pair of purlins. The chancel roof probably dates from the 15th century and also has a very low pitch; it features a cambered tie supported by short posts standing on corbels, with a ridge piece and a single pair of purlins. The tie beam, ridge piece, purlins, and rafters are all moulded. A piscina with a simple pointed arch stands at the east end of the south aisle, and another piscina with a trefoiled head is located in the chancel.

Fittings and Monuments

A stone font dated 1514 has an octagonal base, octagonal moulded pedestal, and octagonal bowl. Reused 17th-century carved oak box pews are incorporated in 19th-century bench pews; some retain initials and inscriptions including "SEATES FOR THE CHIEFE LORD", "N:W", "W:H:A:S:H:H:R:A", and "T:E:GL". The church contains a 17th-century hexagonal carved oak pulpit and a 17th-century carved oak lectern. The chancel has 17th-century carved oak panelling. A three-sided oak communion rail of around 1660 is ornately carved with barley sugar balusters. An ornately carved 17th-century oak altar table is present. Two commandment boards flank the east window.

The monuments include a marble memorial plaque in the south aisle to Thomas Ley (died 1795), flanked by ribbed scrolls with a cornice and urn above draped with cloth; a marble memorial plaque in the south aisle to John Brock (died 1825) with a corbelled base, moulded cornice, and coat of arms above; and a brass memorial plaque to Sarah Evans (died 1749).