Church Of St John The Baptist

BENTHAM LOW BENTHAM SD 66 NW 5/5 Church of St John the 20.2.58 Baptist GV II* Parish church. C15 west tower, rest heavily restored by R Norman Shaw, 1876-78. Squared rubble; stone dressings, slate roof. West tower, north entrance porch. 2 bay nave, north and south aisles, one bay chancel, north vestry, south side chapel. Perpendicular. 3 stage, west tower. Restored 2-centre head to west door, dripstone; 1870s 2-leaf plank doors with decorative wrought iron strap hinges. Second stage: 1870s 3-light Perpendicular with 2-centre heads and curved dripstone. Bell stage: 2-light trefoil headed window with mouchettes in spandrels; dripmould. Diagonal buttresses; partly embattled parapet with 4 crocketed finials all c1980 (2 C15 finials in churchyard, west of tower). North entrance porch 1870s: 2-centre arch entrance with moulded surround; 2-leaf plank door and decorative wrought iron strap hinges. Half-hipped roof. Nave: Perpendicular windows with 3 cinquefoil headed lights: hood moulds. 2 similar windows in clerestorys, and one to vestry. Chancel, 1870s. Stepped east window is 2-centre, 5 lights each have cinquefoil heads. Tudor flower decoration below gable end parapet. Finials to buttresses and cross at gable end ridge. South wall of chancel has wreathed C15 2-light chamfered mullioned window with trefoil head and 1870s hoodmould. 2 similar windows in south wall of south side chapel but with restored cavetto mullions. Above is late C18/early C19 stone sundial with floral decoration inscribed LAT 54° 7'; iron gnomon. Interior Nave: font by Lethaby. c1890. Pulpit by Shaw has stone base and wood surround with linenfold panelling; exposed king post roof, stone corbels. 2 bay arcade to north and south aisles. C15 two-centre chancel arch. Chancel: stalls with poppyhead carving by Shaw. In North wall is 1870s 6-light cinquefoil headed mullioned window with king mullion at clerestory level, now partly obscured by teak organ case by Shaw and Lethaby, 1886. Reredos in Caen stone by Shaw, carved by Thomas Earp. Maw's majolica tiles to walls. Several stained glass window by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Stone cruciform carving in south aisle window, probably C13. Source: A Saint, Richard Norman Shaw (1976); Royal Academy London, plans and elevations by Shaw.

Listing NGR: SD6447369272