Church Of St John The Baptist

ST 20 SE MEMBURY MEMBURY 5/395 8.5.67 Church of St John the Baptist

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Parish church. Stone rubble with slate roofs. The fabric is of C12 origin although largely rebuilt in C15 and with a C13 chancel. Restored 1893. Chancel has group of three lancets for east window and lancets on north and south walls. North chapel has three light perpendicular traceried window. South aisle has embattled parapet with grotesque gargoyles and three light flat headed window with head stops to dripmoulds. South porch with embattled parapet, gargoyles and moulded two centred arch doorway. Tall west tower with buttresses set back from the corners, embattled parapet, perpendicular two light bell openings. Perpendicular four light west window over moulded four centred arch west doorway. Polygonal stair turret on south side of tower. Interior: four bay south arcade. Double chamfered chancel arch on corbels. Moulded four centred arch to north chapel. Tall tower arch and at base bedded into south wall of nave and squat Norman pier with scalloped capital. Wagon roofs to nave chancel and north chapel. Moulded south aisle roof. C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil panels. South chapel at east end of aisle has a circa 1500 timber screen with linenfold panels and perpendicular intersecting tracery above, extensively rebuilt. C19 furnishings. Monuments: in north chapel circa 1257 to Alice daughter of Lord Brivere recumbent figure in niche said to be facsimile of one in Axmanster church. Monuments in north chapel: Nicholas Fry 1632 with kneeling figures with columns supporting an open pediment. Robert Fry 1725 and another to Frances Fry 1723 with bust and inscription. In south aisle monument to Sir Shilston Calmady 1645.

Listing NGR: ST2762902941