Church Of St John The Evangelist

The Church of St John the Evangelist is a Grade II* listed building located on Village Street in Folkton. It has origins dating back to the 12th century, with significant elements from the 13th century, including a tower that was later modified in 1877-81. The chancel was shortened in 1772, the south side of the nave was rebuilt in the 19th century, and the roof was replaced in 1906. The church is constructed of herringbone-tooled sandstone and sandstone ashlar, topped with a slate roof.

The structure includes a west tower, nave, and chancel. The tower is three stages high, embattled, with angle buttresses and a staircase turret. It features slit windows on the lower two stages and pointed bell openings under pointed arches on the third stage. The south door is pointed and set in a quoined opening with a corbelled dripmould above. To the right of the door are two flat-topped, three-light windows with panel tracery, and a similar 15th-century window is inserted in the north wall, disrupting the impost band. A 13th-century trefoil-headed lancet is located to the left, with additional similar openings blocked in the north and south walls of the shortened chancel. The east window, added in 1854, consists of three pointed lights with a small trefoil window above.

Inside, the church features a 13th-century double-chamfered chancel arch supported by 12th-century responds with three shafts, scallop, and volute capitals, one of which is shaped like a rabbit's head. There is also a 13th-century triple-chamfered tower arch and a deeply-splayed tower lancet. A blocked round-arched doorway can be found in the north wall of the nave. Fragments of medieval painted glass are incorporated into the north window, and there is a Norman tub font with cable mouldings at the top and bottom. Notable monuments include those to Rev. W. Minithorpe (died 1774) by Chambers of Scarborough and to John (died 1316) and Edwin (died 1821) Minithorpe by Taylor of York.