Church Of St John The Baptist

TM 36 NW BADINGHAM LOW STREET

4/8 Church of St. John the - Baptist 7.12.66

• I

Parish church. Medieval; chancel considerably restored 1879. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north vestry; the church is aligned southwest - northeast. Random flint and stone rubble, with some coursed work to the tower and nave; red brick to upper part of nave; south chancel faced with large knapped flints; remains of plaster to nave and north chancel; stone dressings; leaded roof to nave, plaintiles to chancel. 2-stage tower, probably largely C12-C13; about half way up on the west and south faces are C12 slit windows; 2-light Y tracery bell chamber openings, crenellated parapet. The C12 west angles of the nave have nook-shafts: they now form small buttresses to the tower. North and south nave each with a single Cl3 lancet window and one early C16 2-light brick window at clerestory level, the remaining windows mostly C15 but restored. Fine porch: c.1480; knapped flint with panelled flushwork to facade and enriched plinth; moulded entrance arch with carved spandrels and empty canopied niche above; crenellated parapet. Original door into nave. 2-bay chancel, much restored 1879, the windows and Priest's doorway in Decorated style. Wide tower arch with C12 nook-shafts. North nave with diagonally-set canopied image niche. Very fine 8-bay single hammerbeam nave roof: richly decorated wallplate, pierced tracery above the hammerbeams and the collars, east-west arched bracing between the wallposts and along the roof ridge; the angels against the ends of the hammerbeams are replacements of c.1900. Late C19 4-bay arched-braced chancel roof. Very fine late C15 carved octagonal font, the faces of the bowl depicting the Seven Sacraments and the Baptism of Christ; good mid C17 pulpit complete with tester; 5 simple C15 poppyhead bench ends in nave. The traceried dado of the rood screen now forms part of the stalls. Early C19 framed copies of the Lord's Prayer, Creed and Commandments in base of tower. Fine altar tomb in north west chancel, probably of Sir John Carbonell (d.1423): tall recess with carved tomb chest (partly obscured by benches); above is cresting with 8 blank shields and 3 carved helmets; to either side are wall shafts with broad brackets. In north east chancel is the tomb of William Cotton (d.1616) and his wife: a large standing monument with painted recumbent effigies and 2 kneeling children below; the tomb displays elaborate heraldry of the Cotton and Rous families. Graded I for surviving medieval fabric.

Listing NGR: TM3056468318