Church of St John the Baptist

Details

ST5516SE YEOVIL CP CHURCH PATH

5/4 Church of St John The Baptist

19.3.51

GV I

Church, late C14. Limestone with Ham stone dressings: lead roofs. Cruciform plan with South porch and vestry (1915) 1 bay sanctuary, 2-bay choir, crossing, 4-bay nave and West Tower, with North and South choir and nave aisles and projecting transepts. Early Perpendicular style, crypt is Decorated but not necessarily earlier. Three tiered plinth, buttresses with double offsets terminating in pinnacles between bays, set-back buttresses to corners. Windows to full width of each bay: 5-light terminating in 2-centre arches, tracery of reticulated perpendicular transitional design. String course below slender arch-panelled parapet with roll-mouldings; parapets angled to gable ends. Blank second bays to choir. To bay 3 of North aisle a pointed arched doorway cut into bottom of window, opposite on South nave aisle is South porch, a half-height 2-bay extension, in style of rain building. Doorway probably C19, crocketted label mould to pointed archway, and swept sculptured panel in niche. Stair turrets to East outside corners of both transepts. Tower 28 metres high, in 4-stages set back offset corner buttresses, capped by openwork balustrading eatching the parapets could be C19. Two-light late C14 windows on all sides at bell-ringing and bell-chamber levels, the latter having fine pierced stonework grilles. Stair turret to North-west corner, with windvane termination. Plain West doorway flanked by triangular shafts, West window having Perpendicular tracery. The iron latin cross set into the South-east corner of the parapet may be of C15. The tower has a chiming clock, (no clock face), a Sanctus bell and a peal of 10 bells, the East window similar tracery to the West window, and the parapet is crowned with a stone cross. Internally the South porch late C19 The Nave and aisles are lofty, the apexes of the arcades are close to wall plate level: the columns slender, alternate order hollowed, with small impost capitals on outer and riddle of the five orders. Wall shafts to aisle/chapel walls; Tower and crossing arches unpanelled and set higher. The trussed ribbed rafters of the barrel roofs and nearly all the bosses said to be original: West bay of the North aisle has sore ancient timbers. Colouring applied to bosses and principal timber members throughout. The Crypt, under the choir, has four Quadripartite vaults of early/mid C14 style, central octagonal pier, and moulded corbels to walls. The entrance doorway (North wall of chancel) has a croketted ogee arch, double cusps, and pinnacled side pilasters. Fittings of note: late Ill font, an outstanding brass lectern, English c1450, inscription figure of monk on stand; on North and South chancel walls sculptured lenton veil brackets. Memorial brasses to Penne 1519 and Hawker 1696. Many C18 memorial, notably to Revd. J Phelips Died l766. Newman of Barwick Died 1790, and Harbin Died 1704. Earliest church in Yeovil, dating from c950. Rebuilt 1380-1400 probably by William Wynford, master mason of Wells: major restoration 1851-60.

Listing NGR: ST5567016058

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

261341

Legacy System:

LBS

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