Parish Church Of St John The Baptist

Parish Church of St John the Baptist

This parish church has a core dating to the late 12th and early 13th centuries, with a 15th-century west tower built partly from reset material. The building underwent drastic restoration by G M Allen of Crewkerne in 1868, when the nave and aisles were extended one bay to the east, and the chancel and north aisle were rebuilt. A north vestry and south porch were added at this time. The walls are constructed of rubble stone and lias ashlar, with tile and lead roofs.

The west tower comprises three stages and dates to the late 14th century, though much was restored by Allen. It features set-back buttresses with set-offs, a crenellated parapet with gargoyles, and two-light bell-openings with ogee-panelled tracery. A newel stair is positioned on the north side. The west doorway is 14th-century, with two-centred arch and continuous moulded jambs. Above it stands a three-light panel-tracery window added by Allen.

The south aisle consists of five bays, much of it rebuilt. Its westernmost window is a 15th-century three-lighter with trefoil-cusped and panel tracery over. The remaining windows are three-light, trefoil-cusped with square heads above, added by Allen. The aisle is buttressed and topped by a string with gargoyles and crenellated parapet. Above this, the clerestory contains five two-light cusped ogee lights set within square heads, with crenellated parapet over.

The chancel, rebuilt in two bays, has two-light cusped windows with ogee heads. A doorway with chamfered jambs and cusped ogival head is crowned by a round label. Two large buttresses with set-offs support the walls, and a stone gable-coping with cross at the apex completes the east end. The east window contains three lights with flowing tracery and a label with head-stops.

The south porch features diagonal buttresses and a two-centred entrance with moulded jambs and one respond order. The label over the entrance is stopped with an ogee finial and poppy-head-stopping. The porch carries the same parapet and gargoyle design as the aisle. Recessed arms depicting St George and St Andrew, each with labels over, adorn the porch exterior. The south door to the church is 14th-century work, with continuous moulded jambs marked by two quirks.

Interior

The nave, now five bays, is spanned by a south arcade of late 12th-century date with round piers bearing square scallop-capitals. The arches are pointed with a slight chamfer. The north arcade dates to the early 13th century and features round moulded capitals, with arches of two chamfered orders. These arcades rest on flat square bases and water-holding bases respectively. A rebuilt clerestory stands above a continuous string.

The chancel arch is 19th-century work, with continuous jambs and a stopped respond order carrying quasi stiff-leaf capitals. It is crowned by a label with head-stops. Throughout the interior, windows display reveal-arches, often of segmental-pointed form.

The nave roof is 19th-century, constructed with queen-struts and arch-braces springing to a high-collar. Tie beams with wall-braces extend to stone corbels. The wall-plate is pierced quatrefoil. The chancel roof is double-pitched and divided into 20 compartments, bosses marking the intersections, with hidden ashlaring beneath.

The church contains several notable fittings. The font is a square Purbeck stone bowl of 13th-century date, set on a stone base with corner responds. The pulpit is a seven-sided oak piece of 16th-century workmanship, enriched with buttressed and pinnacled angels and arranged in two tiers of panels; the upper panels display conventional foliage with an enriched cable serving as the middle rail. The cornice and base are 20th-century additions.

Two piscinae survive: in the north aisle on the east wall, with trefoil ogee head and sexfoiled drain, and in the south aisle on the east wall, with moulded jambs, trefoiled-ogee head, label and round drain. Both are 14th-century.

Wall tablets commemorate Edith Gundrey (1695) in the chancel and E Hallson and others (1839) in the tower. A standing dragoon monument also stands within the church.