Church Of St John The Baptist

STOKE BY CLARE

832/26/426 CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST 19-DEC-55

I

A priory church is known to have stood on the site in 1124. The present flint and stone church is mainly of the early C16. The tower, which belonged to an earlier aisless church is C14, but the lower part may be of the C15. The tower is castellated, and buttressed on the north and south sides. The nave and aisles are castellated and the aisles continue to form chapels north and south of the chancel. The chancel and the east end of the nave have crow-stepped gables. A chapel on the south side has C13 walls and a C15 vestry on the north, with moulded ceiling beams, has a priest's chamber above. The interior has a particularly fine octagonal pulpit of circa 1500, with traceried valence. Money was left for it in 1498 and it is said to have been given by Matthew Parker, the last Dean of the College of St John Baptist de Stoke and later Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I. There are C15 pews in the chancel, with traceried fronts and poppyhead bench ends. There is a brass to Edward Talcarne (1597) and his wife (1605).

Listing NGR: TL7410243342