Church Of St John

SP 8020 WHITCHURCH CHURCH LANE

9/192 Church of St. John

21.12.67

GV II*

Parish church. Late C13-mid C14 with C15 S. porch and C15-C16 clerestory. Heavily restored 1911. Coursed limestone rubble, lead roofs, tiled porch. W. tower of 3 stages is set between the aisles, with angle buttresses to W. corners, battlemented parapet and paired pointed lights with Tudor hoodmoulds to bell-chamber. S. side also has single light and carved stone sundial dated 1828. W. side has heavily restored C14 doorway with moulded arch on triple shafts, and 2-light traceried window with canopied niches in jambs. Arched niche above. Nave has moulded parapet and 3-bay clerestory of 2-light cusped windows.N. aisle has traceried windows in E. bays, and 3-light uncusped window to N. of W. bay with segmental zig-zag moulding over. Moulded doorway. S. aisle more regular with 3-light cusped windows, 2 in E. bays with flat heads, the other with 4-centred head; altered and blocked round window to E. Brick buttress between E. windows. Moulded S. doorway has hoodmould with carved head stops and cusped niche above. S. porch is dated 1657 on tablet and has wide chamfered arch on semi-octagonal piers with carved heads to stops and apex of hoodmould. Chancel has altered plain parapet and 3 bays of traceried windows, 2-light to N. and S., 3-light to E. Interior: tower has triple chamfered arches to nave and aisles, the nave arch taller and with the inner order continued down jambs. Nave has 4-bay arcades of double chamfered arches, those to S. on circular piers, those to N. on octagonal piers, all with moulded capitals and bases. Cusped ogee niche to right of chancel arch, shallow niche with pointed head in N.E. pier. Nave and aisle roofs are late C15-C16 with moulded cross beams. Double chamfered chancel arch, the inner order on semi-octagonal piers. Fine C14 piscina and sedilia with moulded arches on triple shafts, the piscina arch pointed and cusped, the sedilia arch segmental. Fittings: choir stalls have some early C16 ends with poppyheads initialled R.H.; one similar pew in nave; some old tiles in chancel; early C17 pulpit; font dated 1661 with small carved marble basin on wooden baluster, and fine wrought iron hoist for cover; C17 poor box; early C19 box pew belonging to the Westcar family. Late C15 wall painting in N. aisle. Monuments: 2 marble tablets in chancel with hands pointing downwards, one an oval tablet to Ann Gaderen 1669, the other with paired oval inscription panels to Bennett and Martha Gaudrey 1660 and 1656; marble monument to John Westcar 1833, by John Gibson, with relief of gentleman standing infront of a bull and some sheep; 3 small brass incription tablets 1699-1707 in nave. RCHM II p. 322-324.

Listing NGR: SP8027820871