Church of St John the Baptist
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1040142
- Date first listed:
- 23-May-1967
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
Have you got a photo to share?
Join the Missing Pieces Project. We want you to share your photos and memories.
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-26
- Reference:
- IOE01/05856/01
- Rights:
- © Mr John Kirkpatrick. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1040142
- Date first listed:
- 23-May-1967
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 11-Jan-1988
- 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.
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Northamptonshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Thorpe Achurch
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 02138 83136
Details
TL08SW
7/125
23/05/67
THORPE ACHURCH
ACHURCH
Church of St. John the Baptist
(Formerly listed as Church of St. John)
GV
II
Church. Early and late C13, restored and enlarged c.1862 by William Slater.
Squared coursed limestone with ashlar tower and spire and Collyweston slate and
lead roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, transepts, south porch, north vestry and west
tower. South elevation of chancel of 3-window range of 2-light windows. Window
to right is late C13 with quatrefoil circle and carved label stops, other 2 are
mainly C19. Priest door to left of centre and single stage buttresses, with
gablets to, right of centre and far right. Corbel table supporting C19 gutter.
Steep gabled roof and ashlar gable parapets with finial. 5-light east window has
C19 tracery with trefoils. Flanking buttresses have gablets with Y-tracery
decoration. North elevation of chancel of one-window range with C19 two-light
window similar to south elevation. Flanking buttresses. South elevation of
chancel of 3 bays; 2-window range of C19 two-light windows. C19 corbel table,
supporting gutter, and steeply gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and
finial. Bay to left has C19 gabled porch. Chamfered and moulded outer doorway
has corbelled responds with short shafts. Double chamfered inner doorway. South
transept breaks forward to right. Late C13 two-light south window has quatrefoil
circle and elongated trefoils. C19 two-light east window has medieval label
stops. C19 corbel table, ashlar gable parapet and steeply gabled roof. C19 north
aisle of 3-window range of 2-light windows with single-stage buttresses between.
Lean-to lead roof with plain ashlar parapet and corbel table. 2-light west
window. North transept, to left of north aisle, has 2-light window, similar to
south aisle, restored C19. Ashlar gable parapet with octagonal flue at apex. C19
organ chamber and vestry abuts transept to east and has 2-light north and east
windows. Buttresses at corners and abutment. Corbel table, ashlar gable parapet
and steeply gabled roof. West tower of 3 stages with plinth. 2-stage angle
buttresses to south-west corner of lower two stages. Polygonal stair turret to
north-west corner. Early C13 west door has 2 orders of shafts and roll-moulded
arch. 2 lancet windows above doorway. Quatrefoil circles in north and south
faces of second stage. 2-light bell-chamber openings, with Y-tracery, to each
face of upper stage. 2 openings also have trefoil circles. Hood mould is linked
by string course. Corbel table with carved heads linked by trefoil arcading.
Broach spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade of C19
double-chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers and foliated capitals. Similar
double-chamfered arch from north aisle to transept. C13 double-chamfered chancel
arch and similar arches to transepts with corbelled responds. Early C13
stiff-leaf capital to north-east respond. Similar triple-chamfered tower arch.
C19 roof structures. Low cill, forming sedilia, to window to right of altar.
Plain octagonal font. C19 furnishings. Trefoil-head piscina in north transept.
C19 stained glass to east window, south window of chancel, and north transept
window. Monuments: Arthur Elmes died 16bS, reset oval wreathed tablet in tower
with cherub above and scull below. 3 other partially legible (:17/early C18
tablets in tower, 2 have armorial devices above, the other is a plain tablet.
Sir Thomas Powys died 1719, monument in south transept, said to be reset from
Lilford Church, by Robert Hartshorne. Large standing monument with detached
Corinthian columns and open segmental pediment: putti and drapery falling over
reclining figure below inscribed panel, flanked by figures of Truth and Justice.
Charles and Henry Powys died 1804 and 1812, inscribed tablet to west wall of
south transept has military still-life below. Henrietta Maria Powys died 1820,
inscribed tablet to east wall of north transept has still-life of books and
bowls below. Thomas Powys, second Lord Lilford, died 1825, inscribed tablet
alongside. 3 similar C19 tablets to east wall of south transept have pediments
over. Various C18 inscribed floor tablets to Powys family in south transept and
mid C19 brass inscribed tablets to Powys family in transepts and chancel. Thomas
Atherton Powys died 1882, marble medallion, with profile, to right of altar. The
Powys family lived at Lilford Hall (q.v.). Robert Browne (1550-1630), who was
Rector of Achurch, formed the first Independant Congregation.
(Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.427; V.C.H.: Northamptonshire, Vol.3,
p.135).
Listing NGR: TL0213883136
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 232848
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1961), 427
Ryland, W, Adkins, D, Sejeantson, R, The Victoria History of the County of Northampton, (1930), 135
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 19-Jun-2026 at 17:34:22.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.