Chapel Of St John The Baptist

This is a mid-19th century chapel of St John the Baptist, built as part of the Hospital of St John, which has a history stretching back to between 1109 and 1114. The original hospital was founded by Archbishop Thomas II of York to provide hospitality for travellers, support local clerks, and distribute soup to the poor. It has undergone several transformations over the centuries, serving as an almshouse and later having its mastership amalgamated with the Hospital of St Mary under the office of Dean of Ripon. The present chapel replaced earlier structures, including a chapel used as a National School until 1864.

The chapel is constructed from limestone ashlar with a slate roof. It comprises a nave and a polygonally-apsed chancel. A bell-cote is corbelled, mirroring the design of the west gable. A south porch is built of timber with cusped, openwork tracery, topped with a hipped roof. A vestry, also hipped-roofed, adjoins the structure. The windows are relatively small and feature either two or four lights in a Perpendicular style. A prominent four-light Early English window with intersecting bar tracery is located at the west end. The chapel has seating for approximately 200 people and cost £1,200 to build, incurring a debt of £700.