Church Of St John The Baptist

SO 81 SW HARESCOMBE CHURCH LANE (south side) 5/93 church of St. John the Baptist

10.1.55

GV II*

Parish church. C13; 1871 restoration by Francis Niblett. Coursed, squared and ashlar limestone; stone slate roof. Nave without aisles; chancel, south porch and north vestry. C13 chamfered pointed-arched south doorway with medieval plank and batten door; C19 restored porch with pointed arch and diagonal corner buttresses to parapet gable; narrow side lancets. Two trefoil-headed nave lancets to right; east end of nave has wide offset buttress and wide coping to gable below C13 bellcote: octagonal stone spire having 4 attached octagonal pinnacles with C19 iron crosses; central moulded bracket divides space for 2 bells. Two C18 memorials on wall west of porch. Blocked C13 doorway to buttressed north nave wall with 3 trefoil-headed lancets. C19 2-light west window with quatrefoil tracery and carved head labels to hood mould. C19 restored pair of cinquefoil lancets to east chancel wall; 2 trefoil-headed C13 lancets to south with C18 memorial to right; single trefoil headed lancet to north with lean-to C19 vestry to right having trefoil-headed north lancets. Limewashed interior. C19 4-bay collar truss nave roof; C13 pointed chancel arch with chamfered archivolt; chancel altered in Cl9; 3-bay arcaded reredos with tile inlay; raised floor; plank boarded chancel roof; large chamfered segmental arch to vestry. Cinquefoil-headed piscina in south chancel wall with credence table; cinquefoil-headed south nave piscina. C20 altar screen with carved angels on riddle posts; Jacobean hexagonal pulpit on Cl9 moulded stone base; C19 box pews. Two C18 memorials, either side of chancel arch: right to Rev. Mr Jonathan Blagge BA, died 1726, has oval inscription panel with putti and cherubs, and is surmounted by bust of the rector, all painted; left is oval moulded memorial to CHARLES STOCK, Rector of Harescombe, died 1707/8, also painted. C19 stained glass to west window; C20 to east. (D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979.)

Listing NGR: SO8373710416