Church Of St John The Baptist

DEVIZES

657/3/53 ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD 09-APR-54 CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

I

Major Norman church very likely due to Bishop Roger of Sarum. Massive crossing tower. Big Norman windows with decorated arches. Paired bell stage openings flanked by blank arches. 3 arches to north and south, 5 to east and west as tower is rectangular in plan. Round stair turret higher than tower. The transept fronts have partially destroyed pairs of Norman windows and a small Norman window in gable. Again the arches are decorated. Norman buttresses to chancel and small window in east gable. Other Norman windows Victorian. The body of the church is Perpendicular. The west front in Perpendicular style is of 1863 by Slater. Perpendicular north and south transept windows. Perpendicular porches, 2 storeyed on north side. Chancel flanked by chapels. The south Beauchamp chapel is very similar to the Beauchamp and Tocotes chapel at Bromham of 1492. Very ornate. 2 bays with 4 and 5 light windows, densely decorated battlements and pinnacles. On the east side a tall canopied niche. The north Lamb Chapel is less ornate. Battlements and pinnacles, buttresses decorated with pinnacled buttress-shafts in relief. Inside the Norman crossing has rounded arches east and west but to north and south they are pointed, a very early example in England. Norman chancel with low rib vaulting. Scallop and foliage capitals to wall shafts. Blind arcading of intersecting arches with zigzag, scale pattern in spandrels and above arches. The arcading on south wall opened as screen to Beauchamp Chapel where the corbel table of the Norman chancel and transept is still visible decorated with grotesque heads. The Chapel is as ornate inside as out with fine roof of traceried panels. The Lamb Chapel also has a fine panelled ceiling. 6 bay arcades to nave, square piers, semi-circular shafts and polygonal abaci, late C14. Westernmost bay of 1863 contemporary with West front. Perpendicular pulpit shallow gabled blank arches. Late Cl7 organ case with rich acanthus ornament to upper part. Heathcote Monument by King 1768. Other late C18 monuments by Westmacott Senior, Richard Westmacott, Prince Hoare and Baily.

Listing NGR: SU0048261237