Church Of St John The Baptist

SHADINGFIELD LONDON ROAD TM 48 SW 3/33 Church of St. John the 1.9.53 Baptist GV 1

Parish church. Medieval, restored 1839 and 1870's. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Flint rubble, the nave plastered, the chancel with remains of plasterwork to north and south; stone dressings; red brick porch. Slated roofs to nave and chancel, plaintiles to porch. C15 square tower with 3-stage diagonal buttresses decorated with flushwork and crenellated parapet; some later repair work in red brick. 2-light west window with empty statue niche above; 2-light bell-chamber openings with later alterations in red brick. Late C12/early C13 work to nave: 2 small semi-circular headed windows to north and south at west end; north and south doorways, both with pointed arches, the arch to the north doorway enriched with dogtooth moulding. The nave also has 2 2-light windows with Y tracery to the south and one 3-light Perpendicular window to the north, all restored. Early C16 brick porch with embattled parapet and polygonal buttresses; some ornamental courses of bricks with flower motifs. Chancel probably C13: one lancet window to north, 2 2-light windows with Y tracery to the south with a Priest's doorway between; C19 3- light east window with intersecting tracery. Interior. C19 arched-braced roof to nave (plastered); chancel roof also C19. Niche of banner stave locker north of tower arch. No chancel arch; at the entrance to the chancel are 2 stone corbels in the form of pairs of heads which probably once supported part of the rood loft. Simple pointed-arch piscina in south sanctuary,with sedilia adjacent. Good C15 octagonal font, the bowl carved with shields and flowers within foiled surrounds; 8 attached shafts to the stem; base with 4 raised steps like a Maltese Cross, the step ends carved, (cf. All Saints, Laxfield). Arms of Charles II on south nave wall. The organ, which stands at the west end of the nave, has a good late C18 case. In the chancel are several C17 and early C18 ledger slabs and brass inscriptions to the Cuddon family.

Listing NGR: TM4348583797