Church Of St John The Baptist

STANTON ST. JOHN MIDDLE ROAD SP50NE (West side) 5/163 Church of St. John the Baptist 18/07/63

GV I

Church. c.1200 and c.1300, altered C14, tower C15. Limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; plain-tile roofs. Aisled nave, chancel and west tower. Chancel of c.1300 has deep buttresses between pairs of trefoil-headed lancets, with a priests door to south and a 3-light east window containing extraordinary cusped lattice tracery. Nave has cinquefoil-headed clerestory lights. South aisle has a C13 lancet in the west wall but was probably widened in late C14; its C19 east window is in Decorated style, the 2-light square-headed south windows are C15 and later, and the south door is C14. Wider north aisle has one C14 north window with Reticulated tracery, but other windows to north and east are C15 with tall cinquefoil lights under square heads; west window has Perpendicular tracery. C15 crenellated 4-stage tower has diagonal buttresses and semi-octagonal stair tower, to south, with a short spire; west doorway has quatrefoils and mouchettes in the spandrels and a label; 2-light west window with Perpendicular tracery; 2-light arched belfry openings with quatrefoil tracery. Interior: Chancel windows have elaborately-moulded rear arches with head stops; small contemporary piscina to south; ogee-headed double-cusped tomb recess to north. 3-bay nave has c.1200 masonry-piered arcade to north of which the eastern arch is the earliest; south arcade has C13 eastern arch, and the rest is early C14. 7-canted coupled-rafter roofs to nave and chancel are probably medieval. Plain Transitional-style chancel arch is noted as rebuilt c.1700. Fittings include a C15 oak parclose screen in north aisle, part of which is now in tower arch; 2 oak C15 pew fronts with flowers carved on a lattice background; 8 medieval benchends in chancel with double-headed finials; elaborately-carved C17 pulpit incorporating arms of New College, Oxford, owners of the parish; C17 communion table in south aisle; C17 panelling in chancel; medieval stone mensa with hollow-chamfered lower edges, medieval encaustic tiles from the excavated church of Woodperry. Stained glass includes late C13 panels, roundels and some original grisaille, all in chancel. Monuments include carved stone cartouches to Frances Squibb (died 1695) and Judith Price (died 1709) both retaining much colour; several C18 wall monuments including one with Corinthian columns supporting a swan-necked pediment; a small brass inscription to William Pudsey (buried 1658) in a partly-gilt Stone surround on the chancel wall; many C16, C17 and C18 ledgers, Painted Hanoverian arms above the chancel arch are dated 1801. (V.C.H.: Oxfordshire, Vol.V; Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.784-5).

Listing NGR: SP5774709371