Parish Church Of St John The Baptist

Parish Church of St John the Baptist

This is a parish church of mixed medieval date, with significant later restoration. The core of the building is a 12th-century nave, which was modified and expanded over subsequent centuries. A north arcade was inserted around 1200, and the chancel dates to the early 13th century. The west tower was added circa 1330 to a shortened nave, featuring a wide tower arch in anticipation of a larger tower structure. The chancel arch was rebuilt and the north aisle widened in the 15th century.

The church underwent major restorations in 1850 and 1856 by P.C. Hardwick (1822–90), when the south porch was added. Further restorations followed in 1876–91 and 1893–7 by Sir Arthur Blomfield (1829–99), who added a vestry and organ chamber.

The building is constructed of flint rubble with clunch and limestone dressings, with red plain tiled roofs and a small lead-covered spire. The south elevation features a two-stage tower with embattled parapet and two-stage angle buttresses rising to belfry height. The belfry has a window of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in a two-centred arch, and a lancet window blocked by a clock face. The nave and chancel have roofs with parapet gables and cross finials. A 12th-century south-west quoin survives on the nave. Three restored 19th-century windows are present on the south side.

The 12th-century south doorway is particularly noteworthy, with jambs each having 19th-century detached shafts with original capitals (the east capital carved with leaf ornament, the west with small volutes) and chamfered abaci. The round arch features a carved tympanum with a design of ten arches, each containing a figure or object depicting incidents connected with the life and death of St John the Baptist. The south porch, added by Hardwick, is constructed of wood in Gothic style with a steep roof and deep bargeboards featuring tracery lights.

The east elevation shows a gabled chancel with buttresses applied to the east quoin and to the east walls. The chancel contains two 19th-century windows and a priest's door.

The interior contains a nave arcade of four bays cut into the 12th-century wall, with two-centred arches having narrow chamfered edges. The first and third piers are octagonal, while the centre pier is circular. All piers have octagonal-to-square moulded caps; the first pier's cap is carved with leaf ornament at the angles, and the central pier's base is roll-moulded. The north aisle was rebuilt in the 19th century.

The tower arch is two-centred with three chamfered orders and semi-octagonal attached shafts. The chancel arch dates to the late 15th century and is two-centred with two hollow-chamfered orders; at the apex is a carved corbelled bracket. The responds feature moulded capitals carved with paterae and moulded bases.

The 12th-century font is octagonal with a retooled bowl, round corner pieces to a squared base, and a 19th-century pedestal and plinth. The 15th-century font cover is octagonal with an ogee profile, crocketed ribs, and a band of quartrefoils at the base; 16th-century figures of St John baptising Christ were added later.

A late 15th-century screen comprises three main bays with pierced tracery and transomed foiled panels. Two 17th-century chairs are present. A 19th-century hatchment hangs in the north aisle.

Several monuments are documented: in the chancel, a monument to Richard Nash (1805) and in the north vestry a reset stone to the Nash family (1805–1829); in the north aisle, a wall monument to Margaret, wife of Wm Parker Hamond of Pampisford Hall (1845); a recessed stone slab with cusped arch and crocketed label and finial to Wm Parker Hamond (1812) and his wife Mary (1850); and a white tablet surmounted by a draped urn to Caroline Mackenzie, daughter of Mrs Parker Hamond (1841).

The nave roof was restored by Hardwick and the chancel roof by Blomfield. Glass by Kempe is present in the church.