Church Of St John The Baptist

ABINGER C.P. CHURCH LANE TQ 13NW Oakwood Hill

8/12 Church of St. John 11/11/66 The Baptist

II*

Church, originally chapel of ease to Wotton. Circa 1220,doubled in size by Basil Champneys in 1879. Hard chalk and firestone rubble with mortar rendering, Horsham slab roofs and weatherboarded wood - shingled bellcote to west end. Timber framed porches to north and west. Original Church rectangular, single room, now with parallel north aisle and vestry, bellcote to west and porches to north and west. Sloping C18 buttresses to east and west ends. 3-light trefoil head window to west end, C19 west window to north aisle in deep coved surround with 3 quatrefoil lights between Perpendicular tracery above and below. C13 lancet fenestration on south side of church, three windows,two of which are round arched, one pointed. Two lancets to chancel, east of vestry. C15 three foiled light window to east, between buttresses, under label moulding. C19 ogee- tracery window to east end of north aisle. Old lancets re-used in new north side, four windows alternating with buttresses. Gabled porch to west on north aisle with.billeted cambered tie beam and gable crucifix. Arched traceried-iron outer gates, wooden north door. Shallow gabled porch to west end with wavy edged barge- boards. Door circa 1480 (V.C.H.) in 4-centred,moulded surround. Interior:- 5 bay crown-post roof with square panelled ceiling and moulded wall plate. Keel shaped stringcourse to chancel, which is floored in yellow and white stone "sets". Three bay north aisle arcade on two octagonal pillars with half round pier responds and chamfered arches. Two bay north chancel arcade with attached half-round columns to centre pier. Wooden screen between piers to north side of chancel and east end of north aisle. Triangular internal hoods to lancets. St Andrews cross bracing on exposed bellcage to west. Fittings:- fine piscina with credence shelf over on south chancel wall under trefoiled head and with two drains dished in square form, bordered by bold bowtel moulding between two hollows. C19 gallery to west end. Panelled hexagonal pulpit with sounding board above. C19 black marble font on thick spiral fluted round stem, egg and dart type moulding to tub. Red ochre wall painting of "The Visitation" on south wall, C15. Life size figures of St. Mary and St. Elizabeth. Fragments of old C13 glass in two southern lancets - grisaille pattern with white borders.

V.C.H. (1967 Ed) VOL III pp. 162-3. PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) p.391.

Listing NGR: TQ1278738036