The Tomb Of Sir Oliver Style In The Church Of Saint John The Baptist Churchyard

The Tomb of Sir Oliver Style is a chest tomb located in the Church of Saint John the Baptist Churchyard, dating from around 1702. It commemorates Sir Oliver Style, the 3rd baronet, who died in 1702. The tomb was likely crafted by the Stantons, masons who had previously worked on monuments for the Style family in Beckenham.

This square tomb is made of Portland stone and features a cornice, plinth, and projecting angle pilasters. It is enclosed by wrought iron railings. At the center of the tomb, there is a gadrooned, fluted urn with a tapering stem on a square base, which stands on a pyramidal plinth adorned with a relief of the Style arms on each face. Similar urns are positioned over the projecting corners, although at the time of inspection, four of these urns had toppled.

The sides of the chest include square fielded panels with borders, and the north and south sides bear a partly decayed Latin inscription. There are also fielded panels beside each pilaster. The wrought iron railings feature elaborate central scrollwork panels set on a stone base, making this monument an unusually early and opulent example in a churchyard setting.