Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a parish church dating primarily to the late 15th century, with significant restoration work undertaken in the 19th century. Between 1862 and 1863, the north wall was rebuilt, and the tower and vestry were rebuilt between 1868 and 1870. The church is constructed of lias and red sandstone rubble, with the tower built of squared and coursed red sandstone, the chancel of blue lias, all roofed with slate, coped verges. It comprises a chancel and a 4-bay nave without division, a 6-bay south aisle, a north-east vestry, a west tower, and a south porch.

The crenellated three-stage tower has crocketed pinnacles, diagonal buttresses, 3-light louvred bell openings, stringcourses, a lancet, and a 3-light west window. A stair turret with an octagonal, crocketed roof is located in the north-east corner. The west end of the aisle has a 3-light window, and a diagonal buttress is positioned alongside a 3-light window. The south porch is single-storey and gabled, with diagonal stepped buttresses, a lancet on the right return, a pointed arch opening chamfered in two orders, a 19th-century inner door, and a stepped buttress with a 3-light window beyond. The east end of the chancel features a 4-light window, while a 2-light window, possibly reset, is present on the vestry. A door is located on the north front, and the nave contains two 3-light windows between buttresses. The interior is rendered. There is no chancel arch; the 19th-century tower arch is chamfered in three orders. The nave and chancel have a restored arch braced roof with gilded and painted bosses. The south aisle has a wallplate and an open wagon roof with bosses. A 6-bay Perpendicular arcade is present, along with a rood loft stair with an opening. Inside is a handsome 10-bay late 15th century fan vaulted screen, painted and gilded with five carved friezes to the cornice. The church contains a late 18th-century pulpit with raised and fielded panels, a late 19th-century square font (an earlier font was moved to the Church of St Bartholomew, Rodhuish), a medieval chest, a brass plaque with fine lettering dedicating it to Richard Escott who died in 1755 and was made by C Sherborn of Gutter Lane, London, and a marble aedicule to Sara Trevelyan of Knowle, who died in 1667. The bells include ones dated 1868, 1612, and 1684. Historically, the road ran past the porch, potentially contributing to the poor condition of churchyard chest tombs.