Church Of St John The Baptist

Church of St. John the Baptist

A parish church on Tunstall Road with a 13th-century chancel, 14th-century nave, 15th-century chapel, extended in 1655 and restored from 1848 to 1856 by R.C. Hussey. The building is constructed of knapped and coursed flint with some brick, and has plain tiled roofs.

The church comprises a chancel, south-east chapel, nave and aisles, west tower, and south porch.

The exterior features a 14th-century west doorway with roll moulding and double hollow chamfer, topped by a crocketed ogee hood. The south aisle has diagonal buttresses, a cornice and parapet, and 19th-century decorated-style windows. A 14th-century door with strap hinges and two grilles is set in the south porch, which has a doorway with roll and billet moulding and attached shafts. The south-east chapel is built of flint and rubble; one bay was extended eastward in brick with a brick parapet and repairs to the buttresses. This chapel contains two 3-light 15th-century windows and one 17th-century 4-light Perpendicular survival window without cusps. A restored 5-light east window dates originally to around 1510. The chancel north wall has three lancet windows. The north aisle contains a plinth string course, a blocked chamfered doorway, and three 19th-century windows.

Internally, the tower arch and four-bay nave arcade feature double hollow chamfer mouldings and octagonal piers, with wooden tunnel roofs plastered in the aisles. A wide chancel arch rises on corbels. Double-chamfered arches without responds connect the chancel and south aisle to the south chapel, while a roll and hollow-chamfered four-centred arch connects the chancel to the chapel. Remains of one lancet window survive in the chancel south wall. The chancel roof is panelled and bossed.

The church contains significant medieval fittings and monuments. A 13th-century double piscina in the chancel has solid cusped heads and a chamfered pier; a 15th-century piscina with fernleaf spandrels stands in the south chapel.

The monuments include that of Sir James Crowmer, died 1613, with fragments re-erected in 1935, showing an armoured knight and his lady kneeling with three daughters, obelisks, death heads, and an achievement. A late medieval alabaster tomb chest with five shield panels is also present. The monument to Sir Edward Hales, died 1654, is signed by W. Sweet and M. Miles and dated 1655; it features a recumbent knight in white marble on a black and white marble sarcophagus with achievements and inscription on parchment rolls, a cornice, and helm and gauntlets above. Robert Cheke, died 1647, is commemorated by a black and white marble monument on the chancel south wall with Doric columns on a plinth supporting a frieze and broken segmental pediments that frame a semi-circular niche with a half-bust holding a book with hand on heart. Reverend Edward Mores, died 1740, is honoured by a white marble monument in a keyed niche with open pediment. A wall plaque in the south aisle to John and Catherine Grove, died 1755 and 1758 respectively, is white marble on a scrolled base with medallion and frieze and a floral cornice topped by a draped urn on a plinth.

Brasses include one to Ralph Wulf, died 1525 (17 inches), a priest, and another to a lady, probably Dame Francis Crowmer, died 1597 (18 inches).

A hanging rood in the chancel was given by artist Martin Travers in 1968.

The stained glass includes mid-19th-century work; the east window was created by Ward and Nixon in 1850. Victorian Royal Arms are displayed over the north door, and four lozenge achievements are set in the south chapel.