Church of Saint John the Baptist

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 15 February 2023 to update the name and address, remove superfluous source details from text and to reformat the text to current standards

SE 3457 6/190

KNARESBOROUGH CHURCH LANE Church of Saint John the Baptist

(Formerly listed in THE PARSONAGE (north side), previously listed in Vicarage Lane)

5.2.52

GV I Parish church. Mainly mid C15 with late C12 remains and restoration of c1870. Coursed, squared limestone, ashlar and gritstone dressings, graduated Westmorland slate and lead roofs. Four bay nave with central tower, aisles continued past the line of former transepts, clerestory and porch at west end of south aisle; three bay chancel with north vestry.

Porch: elaborate C18 wrought-iron fanlight over outer arch; C19 board door in C15 doorway; stepped buttresses and gable coping. Nave: south aisle: four three-light Perpendicular windows with intersecting tracery. Clerestory added C19 with three-light windows. Prominent stepped buttresses carried up as large crocketed finials, also restored C19. North aisle has Perpendicular-style three-light windows. Chancel: two three-light Perpendicular windows on south side, and a two-light and a three-light plate tracery window to north. East window of five-lights with restored reticulated tracery. Gable copings and cross-finials to nave and chancel roofs. Tower: four stages over former crossing. Roof-line of former transepts (demolished C15) visible at second stage. Third stage has clasping buttresses and fibre-glass replica of C18 clock face with motto: 'Redeeming the Time'. Top stage has paired trefoil-headed windows with hoodmoulds, shallow diagonal buttresses, ashlar coping and corner pinnacles. Slender lead-covered spire, thought to be early C16.

Interior: nave arcades have tall octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. Triple-chamfered arches from the crossing to the north and south aisles. The arch in west side of south aisle chapel (St Edmund's) has Early English nail-head and dog-tooth decoration, much renewed. The chapel contains crocketed and ogee-headed sedilia, piscina, tomb-recess or Easter sepulchre and a statue niche. The Slingsby chapel at the east end of the north aisle contains fine C17 and later family memorials. Chancel interior restored C19 when the roof was restored. Fine octagonal C15 font with shields and elaborately-carved font cover of c1700.

Listing NGR: SE3471157186