Church Of St John

The Church of St John is an Anglican parish church dating back to the 14th century, with a significant restoration in 1861 by H.Woodyer. Constructed of dressed limestone and covered by a tiled roof, the church follows a cruciform plan, incorporating a north-east vestry. A 19th-century pointed double-chamfered arch provides access to the north doorway, accompanied by double doors. The nave contains a cusped lancet window on the left, and a two-light pointed window with geometric tracery on the right. The north transept features a three-light window with reticulated tracery, diagonal buttresses, and coped verges.

The 19th-century vestry, situated on the north side of the chancel, has a group of four cusped lancets and a pointed chamfered doorway, with a rainwater head dated 1861. The east end of the chancel exhibits a four-light geometric-style window with a hoodmould ornamented with carved head terminals, along with diagonal buttresses. The south side of the chancel has a two-light geometric window, while the south chapel presents a two-light geometric window to the east, a pointed door, and a cusped lancet. The south transept has a three-light geometric window with a hoodmould, carved head terminals and dated rainwater heads.

Covered stairs leading to the tower have a shouldered chamfered doorway and three arrow loops situated in the angle between the nave and south transept. The south side of the nave includes a double chamfered pointed doorway, two two-light geometric-style windows, and one cusped lancet. The west end is characterized by a three-light window with geometric tracery, diagonal buttresses, and coped verges.

The 14th-century crossing tower has angle buttresses and two stages above the nave, delineated by string courses. Each face of the tower is occupied by a three-light Tudor-arched window with decorative pierced louvres, capped by a carved battlemented parapet featuring crocketed pinnacles and rainwater spouts.

Inside, the nave is distinguished by a three-bay 19th-century arch-braced collar roof with windbraced purlins. The chancel and nave arches are double-ovolo-moulded, while the transepts feature double-chamfered arches and pointed wood-panelled barrel-vaulted roofs. The chancel includes an ogee piscina on the north wall, and a pair of double hollow-chamfered arches leading to the south organ chamber, north vestry and chapel. The south transept contains a cusped piscina, a large free-standing cusped arch displaying a recumbent knight (Sir John Hussey, C13), and a classical marble tablet commemorating Samuel Foot, who died in 1792, signed by R.Earlsman of Salisbury. Nave and chancel fittings such as pews, alongside a limestone octagonal font at the west end, date from 1861. A wooden pulpit from 1911 incorporates traceried panels. The north transept holds a 19th-century free-standing arch with a 15th-century recumbent knight (Sir Robert Lucy), six hatchments on the wall, and a tablet bearing the arms of the Grove family of Ferne House, dated 1758 and signed by Osmond of Sarum. The north chapel houses a marble tablet dedicated to Rev. Peregrine Bingham, who died in 1826, signed by T. King of Bath. Notable stained glass from the late 19th century is found in the chancel, south transept, and west window, attributed to Hardman.