Church of St John the Baptist

CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1030456
Date first listed:
16-Mar-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of St John the Baptist
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
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Location

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Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
2000-11-14
Reference:
IOE01/02315/01
Rights:
© R H MacMillan. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1030456
Date first listed:
16-Mar-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of St John the Baptist
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Suffolk
District:
East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Brightwell
National Grid Reference:
TM 24966 43529

Details

TM 24 SW
3/1

BRIGHTWELL
Church of St. John the Baptist

16.3.66

II*
Church, medieval, with alterations of c.1656 for Thomas Essington of
Brightwell Hall, and further restoration C19. Nave, chancel, west tower and
south porch. Medieval work of plastered flint rubble with limestone
dressings; C17 work in red brick, perhaps once plastered. Mid C19 porch of
gault brick with parapet gables. Plaintiled roofs; the tower roof flat behind
parapets. Several windows of c.1300, some with Y-tracery (some blocked for
monuments); the east window of 3 lights with intersecting tracery. Early C14
south doorway with original boarded door and sanctuary knocker. The tower of
c.1656 was placed upon existing walls at west end of nave, the east face
supported on giant Tuscan columns. Parapets have obelisk corner pinnacles,
clasping buttresses and arched recessed belfry openings. Similar obelisk
pinnacles placed at apex of east gable and at base of east and west end
gables. Fine mid C14 font of limestone, with octagonal bowl having traceried
facets, and moulded stem and base; painted cover of c.1656. Octagonal oak-
panelled mid C17 pulpit. Fine marble wall tablets to Thomas Essington
(d.1651), his sister Anna (d.1660), and to Arthur Barnardiston (d.1734). A
marble C18 floor slab inscribed "The Barnardistons Vault"; another to Thomas
Essington,snr. (d.1656) and his daughter Anna (d.1660). 4 painted C18
escutcheons of the Barnardiston family on the nave wall.


Listing NGR: TM2496643529

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
286167
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St John the Baptist

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 09:10:55.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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