Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a church dating back to the early 14th century, with significant extensions and alterations in the 15th and 19th centuries. The church was restored, partially rebuilt, and added to between 1876 and 1877. It is constructed primarily of medieval dressed freestone blocks, with 19th-century random rubble and ashlar, and features plain tile roofs with stone coped ranges.

The northwest tower, added between 1876 and 1877, has three stages with scroll-moulded strings and a crenellated parapet with continuous moulded coping. The west window is pointed, with two trefoil-headed lights and Geometrical tracery, embellished with carved heads. The early 14th-century nave was heavily restored in the 19th century; two buttresses flank the south side. South windows have deeply wave-moulded surrounds and 19th-century reticulated tracery. The nave was extended westward in the 15th century, and a gabled south porch of that date features a pointed, hollow-moulded entrance arch and trefoil-headed loops. A 14th-century pointed south door has two moulded orders and a returned hood mould. The chancel, dating from 1876 to 1877, has pointed windows with Geometrical tracery and scroll-moulded dripstones terminating in foliage.

Inside, the nave has a King-post roof, likely largely from the 17th century. A pointed chancel arch, with roll and fillet moulding springing from corbelled shafts with moulded capitals, separates the nave and chancel. The south nave windows have pointed rear-arches and stepped surrounds. The chancel has a barrel roof. Fittings include a 19th-century octagonal font with traceried panels, a full set of pine benches, an elaborate pulpit with carved panels, and stalls with carved poppyheads. A 19th-century wooden reredos is panelled and traceried, flanked by patterned wall tiles. A wooden chest is inscribed with the name “Joseph Spink/Church Mardin/AND FECIT 1724”.

Several monuments are present, including a heavily eroded medieval incised slab in the chancel floor. Tablets commemorate Sir Charles Adderley (died 1682), Julia Anna-Eliza Adderley (died 1820), Bowyer Adderley (died 1747), and Charles Adderley (died 1746), each displaying coat of arms. A coadestone marks the grave of Mrs. Adderley (died 1784), featuring a seated woman and an urn. Two grave slabs, for Mary Adderley (died 1707) and Arden Adderley (died 1727), both display carved skulls. Stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops are visible.