Church Of Saint John The Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a parish church with origins in the 12th century. It was significantly reworked and extended during the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, with further alterations in 1863-4 by Sir Gilbert Scott. The church is constructed of coursed ironstone with ashlar dressings, and has 20th-century tile roofs. It comprises a chancel, a north chapel, a nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a west tower. All areas, except the chancel, have embattled parapets.

The chancel dates to the 14th century and has a 19th-century three-light pointed-arched east window. The south elevation features three pointed-arched two-light windows; one is lower and divided by a transom to form a low-side window. The north elevation has a 14th-century two-bay pointed-arched arcade. The north chapel, also 14th century, has a 15th-century square-headed three-light window to the west, and smaller 19th-century square-headed lights to the east bay and to the east elevation. A depressed 2-centred arched north doorway provides entry.

The nave is predominantly 15th century, but incorporates earlier features. It has a four-bay pointed-arch arcade, with the west bay dating to the 13th century, and the other bays to the 15th century. The west bay retains a 12th-century west respond with leaf ornament. A 15th-century south arcade features four pointed arches. The clerestory is also 15th century, with four windows to each side, all of three lights under square heads. The north aisle was substantially reworked in the 15th century, with three three-light windows similar to those in the clerestory and a blocked 4-centred arched doorway. The south aisle has similar windows, three to the south wall and one to the east.

The 15th-century south porch has three-light windows to the side walls, matching the clerestory windows, and a 4-centred archway with foliate carving to the spandrels and a moulded label. Crocketed pinnacles are at the angles. The 15th-century west tower has three stages, with diagonal buttresses to the west angles. The bell stage has a single two-light pointed-arched window on each side. The ground stage's west elevation features a pointed-arched doorway surmounted by a pointed two-light window.

The interior retains 15th-century roofs with carved bosses, while the nave and chancel have 19th-century roofs. A 13th-century font features a cylindrical bowl on one central and four detached shafts. The chancel contains a fragment of a 15th-century brass depicting figures of six sons. Most of the stained glass is late 19th century, including the south aisle window by Kempe of 1899, dedicated to John Martin. Early 20th-century wall paintings by Edward Aveling Green (1842-1930) depict Christ in Majesty above the chancel arch, the Fall above the tower arch, and roundels of saints above the arcades—all polychrome. The chancel has monochrome roundels, and the tower contains various late 18th and 19th-century marble wall tablets.