Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a Grade I listed building located in Upper Boddington. It dates from the 13th, 14th, and 17th centuries and is constructed from squared coursed and regular coursed lias stone with a lead roof. The church features an aisled nave, chancel, transept, and a west tower.

On the south elevation of the chancel, there is a three-window range of two-light windows with reticulated tracery on the right and a single-light square-headed window with cusping on the left. The north elevation mirrors this with a one-window range and a north door that has a segmental head. The east window is a three-light window from the 19th century. The south transept includes a three-light window with reticulated tracery, while the south aisle has a two-window range of three-light square-headed windows with quatrefoil tracery. The south porch, situated between the windows, features a pointed single chamfered outer arch and a 14th-century door surround. A datestone on the porch reads W.C.M.C./1618. The north aisle also has a two-window range of square-headed windows similar to those in the south aisle, with a blocked 14th-century doorway that has an ogee arched head with a finial, and a two-light east window. The clerestory consists of a four-window range of two-light square-headed windows, partially renewed in the 19th century.

The west tower, dating from the 14th century, has three stages. The lower stage features a round-headed door opening with a two-light square-headed window above, flanked by clasping buttresses at the corners. The third stage has two-light square-headed bell chamber openings on each face and a plain ashlar parapet.

Inside, there is a double-chamfered chancel arch and a four-bay nave arcade with double-chamfered arches supported by alternating round and octagonal piers. The tower arch is single chamfered. The chancel roof is in the Perpendicular style and retains some original timbers, while the nave roof is from the 19th century and features 14th-century corbels. The aisle roofs contain some medieval timbers. There are tomb recesses in the south transept and north aisle, likely dating from around 1300.

Notable monuments include two late 18th-century tablets on the south chancel wall dedicated to the Knowler family, as well as stained glass in the east window, south chancel windows, and the north aisle east window. A large parish chest with iron banding is also present, along with a 14th or 15th-century south door that is panelled and studded.