Details
PITNEY CP -
ST42NW
5/242 Church of St. John Baptist
17.4.59
- II*
Anglican Parish Church. C13 Chancel, C14 tower, rest rebuilt 1853 and 1874. Local lias stone cut and squared, Ham stone
dressings, plain clay tile roofs between stepped coped gables with cross finials. Three-cell plan of 2-bay chancel,
4-bay nave and single-bay south transept, with north east vestry, south porch and west tower. Chancel C13, rebuilt
1853: stepped plinth, no buttresses; 3-light east window with reticulated tracery under headstop label, with triangular
cusped vent in gable over; south wall has cusped lancet windows, one single and one pair, between which is a pointed
arched doorway with label; north wall has two single lancets, and between, the gabled vestry with a 2-light cusped ogee
traceried flat arched window. Nave, rebuilt 1874, has bay buttresses with offsets on north side, with C13 style cusped
paired lancet windows with quatrefoil over, transitional between plate tracery and reticulation, but all C19: south
wall has two 3-light C15 style traceried windows with square-stop arched labels, between them simple porch with
cinquefoil cusped outer arch and plain chamfered pointed inner arch. South transept C15 origins; plinth, angled corner
buttresses and castellated parapet; 3-light south window with C15 tracery set in hollowed recess probably original, but
the east window, 2-light to match, probably C19. Tower of 3 stages, probably all C15, although of earlier proportions;
plinth, offset strings, angled corner buttresses 2 stages high, crenellated parapet with corner pinnacles and
gargoyles; small square-plan stair turret 2 stages high on north east corner: moulded pointed arched doorway in west
wall, with 3-light Curvilinear traceried window with plain label over; other sides plain on both lower stages except
small triangular headed window in south face, second stage; third stage has C15 2-light traceried windows without
labels, one each face, with pierced stone baffles. Inside the church almost totally C19 in character. Chancel has rib
and panel vaulted ceiling, typical later C19 reredos, choir stalls, etc, and a rib-vaulted squint from former south
transept. Nave has arch-braced collar and kingpost roof, unplastered walls, and mostly C19 furniture, except for an
elaborately decorated pulpit of C17; of tiaber on a stone base, and a lectern with C17 panelling; octagonal font with
plain bowl on moulded base with Tudor roses in undercoving, C14/C15, with a cover in C17 style. South Chapel has a
moulded rib and panel ceiling. (VCH, vol III, 1974).
Listing NGR: ST4446328502
