Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St. John the Baptist is an Anglican parish church with origins in the 12th century, extensively rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries, and restored in 1879. The main fabric is of coursed rubble stone, with the west facade of the tower constructed of squared and dressed stone. Ashlar dressings and copings are present, along with dressed stone quoins, a lead roof to the nave, and slate to the chancel. The church comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, and a south porch.

The south aisle is characterised by three-light Perpendicular windows with pointed heads and offset buttressing that develops into crocketted pinnacles at parapet level. A trefoil pierced triangular parapet frieze features fine gargoyles along the moulded eaves. Corner turrets, one southwest, polygonal, and one northeast, are also present. The chancel has 2-light Perpendicular style windows with flat heads and a 3-light east window, all dating to the 19th century. The north aisle has five bays and 2 and 3-light Perpendicular windows with pointed heads, with some 19th-century replacements. A north door is also present.

The three-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses and moulded string courses. The northeast corner has a polygonal stair turret with a blind panelled embattled cap, pierced quatrefoil lozenge parapet, corner pinnacles, and gargoyles. The west facade features a pointed-arched doorway with a 19th-century window set within it. Above this is a 3-light 19th-century window, set within a 15th-century surround, and a small aedicule with a crocketted canopy and shield. The bell stage has single-light openings, and above them, 2-light bell openings with densely pierced lozenge panels. The south porch has parapets similar to those of the aisles, with corner buttresses featuring face carvings at the eaves cornice. A deeply moulded pointed-arched doorway is adorned with a hoodmould and a 19th-century wrought iron two-leaf gate. The south door itself is deeply moulded, with a hoodmould, angel stops, and a 19th-century two-leaf plank door. A further doorway is located on the west wall. The interior features a tie-beam roof supported by angel corbels.

Inside, the nave has four-bay arcades, with 14th-century octagonal piers to the south and 15th-century clustered shafts to the north. The roof is a restored wagon type with carved bosses. The two-ordered tower arch has a tierceron vault to the bell stage. A rood stair and a quatrefoil squint are present on the north jamb of the chancel arch, with a further squint on the south jamb. The 15th-century chancel arch is two-ordered, with a 19th-century barrel vault. There is an ogee-headed piscina on the chancel’s southeast wall. The aisles have restored tie-beam roofs on angel corbels. The nave has 15th-century pews, some renewed, and a 13th-century font bowl with a 19th-century cover. A 1909 Perpendicular style pulpit is also present. A painting of the Last Supper is displayed above the south door. The tower contains several wall monuments and the royal coat of arms dated 1663. In the chancel is a fine 1644 monument to Sara Latch. Fragments of medieval glass are found in two north aisle windows, while the remainder is 19th-century glass.