Church Of St John The Baptist

Church of St John the Baptist

An Anglican parish church of 12th-century origin, partially rebuilt in the 13th century, with Decorated and Perpendicular windows. The timber-framed belfry was rebuilt in 1883. A 17th-century porch and a red tile roof complete the exterior.

The building comprises a nave with a tower over its west end, a south porch, and a chancel. The chancel is constructed of limestone and blue lias rubble with sandstone quoins visible on the north side; the gable at the east end was rebuilt in coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone. The nave is mostly coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone with occasional blue lias rubble. The porch is of coursed squared and dressed limestone, more finely dressed at the front. The tower features close-studded timber-framing with wood louvres to the belfry windows and has a clock on the west side, a pyramidal roof with weathercock at the apex, and flat coping at the gable ends with upright cross finials.

On the nave's west end, a buttress supports the structure. The south and west ends feature a flat-chamfered plinth. The principal entrance is a 20th-century double plank door set within a 12th-century round-headed arch that has been reduced in height and width in dressed limestone. This 12th-century arch is of two orders, both decorated with chevron ornament and alternating limestone and sandstone voussoirs. The hood features nailhead decoration and a dragon's head stop on the left. The sandstone imposts sit above two freestanding columns—one decorated with chevron ornament, the other with twisted ornament—both with primitive scalloped capitals. To the right of the porch is a pointed two-light window with cinquefoil-headed lights. A two-light window with a trefoil-headed light and quatrefoil is set with a moulded hood that continues as a string course.

On the nave's north wall sits a 12th-century north door with a badly eroded 12th-century green sandstone tympanum depicting a sacred figure holding a staff and another object, flanked by a pair of kneeling figures holding books. The hood is hollow-chamfered in alternating sandstone and limestone, with sandstone imposts and jambs. To the right of the doorway is a two-light window with pointed surround, trefoil-headed lights, and Perpendicular tracery. To the left is a rectangular probably 15th-century window set back within a deep reveal, featuring trefoil-headed lights with tracery at the top, a central mullion, and a surround with ovolo and stepped mouldings. The panes are diamond-leaded with some corners of early window glass. A pointed two-light window to the left has cinquefoil-headed lights and carved spandrels. A buttress stands to the left.

The chancel's north wall features one 13th-century trefoil-headed lancet towards the west end, a 19th-century pointed two-light window to the right, and a 19th-century pointed two-light east window. On the nave's south wall, a buttress sits at the west end, with two two-light pointed windows—one with Perpendicular tracery—and one tall narrow round-headed 12th-century window.

The porch has a large plank door at the front within a pointed flat-chamfered surround. A datestone in the gable is dated and initialled '1624/CB' (possibly Charles Bick). The stone flag floor contains what may be the remains of a fossil ichthyosaurus. Original pegged roof trusses are visible. Two-light and single stone-mullioned casements appear on the left-hand and right-hand returns respectively.

Interior

The interior is scraped of plaster in the nave and chancel. The west end of the nave is divided from the remainder by braced uprights supporting the tower. A wide low 12th-century chancel arch of two orders features a flat-chamfered impost hood with finely carved foliate decoration, with flat-chamfered imposts continued as a band either side of the archway. An Elizabethan coved plaster ceiling with moulded bosses in the form of human heads, cherubs' heads, roses, fleur de lys, and four-leafed foliate motifs covers the nave. The chancel has a coved plaster ceiling without decoration. A red brick floor covers the nave, while stone flags cover the chancel, which retains a stone bench seat along the north side.

Fixtures and fittings include a 17th-century limestone font at the west end of the nave, an octagonal possibly late 18th-century oak pulpit with blind 17th-century style arcading, pews probably of the same date with carving similar to that on the pulpit at each pew end, a 17th-century communion rail with turned balusters, a 17th-century altar table, and a 19th-century finely carved limestone reredos. 19th-century commandment boards flank the altar.

Monuments include a 19th-century white and black marble monument to John Bick on the chancel south wall. 18th-century stone ledgers in the sanctuary commemorate members of the Surman and Cartwright families, with several additional ledgers in the chancel floor. One ledger commemorates Prudence, wife of Charles Bick, died 1639, with an incised rosette; another commemorates Charles, son of Charles Bick, died 1641. A hatchment bearing the Surman family arms hangs on the west wall of the nave. An early 20th-century circular candelabra with painted gold decoration is also present.