Church Of St John The Baptist

NORTH BADDESLEY FLEXFORD ROAD SU 42 SW 4/16 Church of St John the Baptist 29.5.57

GV II*

Parish church. Of nave, chancel C15, west tower and west wall of 1674, C19 north vestry, restoration of 1878 by G G Scott. The chancel was rebuilt to the same width as the nave, to produce the present single cell church, with south porch and west tower. Walls of flint and stone rubble to the nave, stone rubble to the chancel, brickwork in English bond to the tower and west end of nave, with lower parts having large stone quoins and bands of flint, vestry walls of flint with stone dressing, two massive stepped buttresses at the west end (north and south walls) of the church, of brickwork above a stone base. Tile roof. C14 and C15 coupled traceried windows, with three cusped lights to the C15 east window; one Victorian copy, and a C18 casement lighting the gallery. C15 style C17 porch, with a wood arcade on massive side walls, and a moulded stone south door. The tower is crenellated, with narrow openings to the bell stage, and a stone plaque above the small west window with raised figures 1674 and initials S T (Simon Tredgo) and T C (Thomas Compton). Interior: wood barrel vault to the chancel, which has a medieval (Hospitallers) altar tomb, a Tuscan monument (of 1620, John More) placed diagonally, a small painting by Annibale Caracci, and a wood screen of 1602, with lower panels and balustered open rails above. Early C17 panelled pulpit with octagonal tester, C14 octagonal Purbeck font, C18 west gallery with C20 panelled front: above the doorway is a Royal Coat of Arms (G3R) of 1806. From c1160 to 1536 the church belonged to the Knights Hospitallers.

Listing NGR: SU4046020644