Church Of St John The Baptist

CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Parish church, primarily 15th century in multiple phases with late 17th-century modernisation and 1893 renovation. Built of local red sandstone and volcanic stone rubble with volcanic ashlar quoins; Beerstone and replacement Hamstone ashlar detail; slate roof. The plan comprises a nave with narrower chancel, a south aisle of less than full length, a west tower, and a south porch.

The tall three-stage west tower features diagonal buttresses and an embattled parapet with crocketted corner pinnacles and carved gargoyles. A semi-hexagonal stair turret on the south side rises through two stages only, with a parapet of open quatrefoils and crocketted pinnacles. Large two-light belfry windows display Perpendicular tracery. On the west face stands a two-centred arch doorway with moulded surround and plain hood, above which sits a three-light Perpendicular window, also with plain hood. High on this side is a large niche with moulded surround and crocketted canopy, containing a much-worn carved representation of the Virgin and Child that appears to be 17th century. The semi-hexagonal stair turret on the south side rises only two stages.

The south aisle features diagonal buttresses. Its windows at each end were renewed in the late 17th century, reusing Gothic tracery set in late 17th-century brickwork. The south side is five bays, with the porch positioned left of centre. The porch parapet is carved with quatrefoil panels enriched with carved shields and four-leaf motifs. The outer arch is two-centred with moulded surround including a band of four-leaf motifs; the hoodmould label stops are carved as angels with shields. The porch interior contains a 19th-century ceiling. The south doorway is a two-centred arch of volcanic stone with moulded surround and holds an ancient studded plank door, with remains of a stone stoup alongside. The south aisle windows are three lights with Perpendicular tracery and carved human head label stops on the hoodmoulds. In the chancel, the north and south windows are 19th century, square-headed with cusped tracery; the southern window is distinguished by carved human head label stops. The east window is three lights with Perpendicular tracery. On the north side, a projecting rood stair turret marks the break between nave and chancel. The north side of the nave features three tall 16th-century square-headed windows with slightly varied head shapes—elliptical and Tudor arch profiles—separated by large buttresses with weathered offsets.

The interior is of exceptional quality. Both nave and aisle have late 17th or 18th-century plaster vaults with moulded cornices; the nave is distinguished by a dentil frieze and, towards the chancel, includes an ornamental ceilure of octagonal panels with bosses resembling ceiling roses. The chancel roof is a ceiled wagon roof with moulded ribs, purlins, and bosses all carved as the Green Man; it is painted, making the extent of original 15th-century work uncertain. The tall tower arch is Beerstone ashlar, panelled with moulded surround. The chancel arch is plain plastered. A five-bay Beerstone arcade to the aisle, with one bay overlapping the chancel, features moulded piers of Pevsner's type B with carved foliage capitals. Two nave piers retain the remains of small image niches. The pier between nave and chancel is wider than others and incorporates a Tudor arch-headed hagioscope. On the north side of the chancel arch facing the nave are the remains of an image niche, for which the rood screen makes provision, with a richly carved surround. The rood stair adjacent has been reopened in the 20th century with rebuilt doorways. Another image niche remains in the south chapel. The rear arches of nave windows have moulded plaster hoodmoulds. The floor is flagged with a couple of good 17th-century graveslabs in the aisle. Walls are plastered.

The rood screen is a splendid example of carved oak, nine bays, with panelled wainscotting and Perpendicular window tracery of Pevsner's type A, Gothic tracery in the coving, and a frieze of three bands of delicate undercut foliage with a vallance. The screen retains ancient colour throughout, and the wainscotting displays a remarkable survival: all 34 panels are painted with different figures, mostly saints but including some New Testament figures, a bishop, and a royal scene.

The sanctuary features restored late 17th-century linenfold panelled wainscotting with a frieze possibly of Flemish carved classical female figures. A late 17th-century oak altar rail has turned balusters and cherubs and garland carved onto the main posts. 19th-century oak stalls with poppyhead finials reuse good 15th-century carved oak bench ends. The pulpit is an 18th-century fielded panel example; the lectern is late 19th-century Gothic. A very good and complete set of 15th-century oak benches features blind tracery on frontals and back benches, with ends carved with flowers and two tiers of tracery; only a couple of late 17th-century benches and one 19th-century example are additions. The 15th-century Beerstone font is octagonal with quatrefoil panels, carved foliage base, and panelled stem. A 17th-century oak font cover has ogee profile and is complete with a carved bird on the apex.

Memorials are small and 19th century, of local interest only. A good carved alabaster panel in the south aisle represents the Resurrection of Jesus. At the back of the aisle are 16th-century nowy-headed Prayer and Commandment boards. The tower includes painted arms of George II.

The windows contain a good deal of early painted and stained glass in the tracery and some bottle glass in the south aisle. Nave windows are mostly diamond-leaded panes of old clear glass; the centre window includes some patterned yellow grisaille glass.

The Church of St John is a particularly good and well-preserved example, arguably the paradigm of a rural parish church in Devon. It has escaped the worst excesses of 19th-century renovation and includes fine craftsmanship from the 15th century onwards. The painted figures on the screen wainscotting are a remarkable survival.