Church of St John the Baptist

Details

SO 83 SE CHACELEY CHACELEY VILLAGE

2/7 Church of St. John the Baptist

10.1.55

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C12, C13, general rebuilding C14, C15, rebuilding of nave north wall early-mid C19, partial rebuilding of chancel from base of windows up 1882 by E.Christian. Chancel; sandstone plinth, coursed blue lias and coursed squared and dressed sandstone. Nave north wall rebuilt in brick retaining sandstone buttresses. Tower; lower stages lias, upper stage sandstone, sandstone spire. Red tile roof. Plan; nave with south aisle, chancel and west tower. Chancel south wall; one 2 and one 3- light C19 window with trefoil-headed lights in rectangular surrounds flanking C19 plank priest's door in flat-chamfered pointed surround. C19 three-light east window with tracery and hood with head stops. Chancel north wall; one 2-light window as in south wall, one pointed window with quatrefoil. Buttressed nave north wall, two 2-light pointed windows with ogee cusped trefoil heads and quatrefoils flanking blocked north doorway with segmental-headed brick surround. Three stage tower with diagonal buttresses. Lower stages C13, upper stage C14 with small spire. Two-light C13 pointed window with cinquefoil-headed lights over C19 plank door, west door within shouldered surround. Single slit lights to second stage. Two-light belfry windows with sandstone louvres, embattlemented parapet, octagonal spire. South aisle: diagonal and clamp buttresses. Two 3-light C19 pointed windows with reticulated tracery and stopped hoods with carved stops (similar to those in nave arcade) flanking late C19 porch. Early plank door with cover strips, from porch to south aisle in double- chamfered pointed-arched surround. C19 hoodmould with large C14 head stops. Interior: 4-bay nave arcade with octagonal piers with corbel heads (mostly men with hair curled in the fashion of the C14). C14 Decorated piscina on south wall of south aisle. Double-chamfered C15 pointed arch to tower from nave. Remodelled C12 stilted chancel arch of 2 orders with intersecting zig-zag and grotesque face forming keystone, under a double billet moulding. Engaged jamb shafts with scalloped capitals one with shallowly carved face. Three-bay nave with recess in position of blocked north door. Chancel: flat-chamfered pointed-headed surround to priest's doorway into chancel. C14 Decorated aumbry divided into 2 unequal compartments with pointed openings, blind tracery decorating stone surround above right of altar. Cinquefoil-headed piscina in south wall with ogee arched hood. Nave roof; C19 boarding below former segmental ceiling, original tie beams retained. C14 wagon roof in south aisle. C19 arch-braced roof to chancel. C19 red tile floor to nave and south aisle, C19 red and brown tiling and decorative encaustic tiling in chancel, small patch of decorated medieval tiling in north-east corner of chancel. Fittings; C13 or early C14 octagonal font formed from single stone block on circular base towards west end of south aisle. Late C19 wooden pews some incorporating C15 carved panels. Cl9 oak pulpit. Late C19 wood lectern. Wooden stocks for 3 in south aisle, (formerly outside church). Drum in south-east corner of aisle with Royal Arms of 1817. Wooden chest with large dovetail joints and 3 locks at west end of nave. Early C19 organ under eastern arch of nave arcade. Fragment of octagonal cross shaft at east end of south aisle C19 harmonium in chancel. C19 communion rail with wrought-iron uprights, C19 altar and reredos. Monuments; C19 ledger right of altar, another left to Margaret Buckle, died 1675 with heraldic shield. Below step up to sanctuary limestone ledger to Charles Dowdeswell died 1775. Unusually large slatestone ledger at centre of chancel to Sarah Buckle, died 1733 and other members of the Buckle family of the New House (q.v.), foliate decoration at corners. Three eroded stone ledgers in nave aisle, 6 ledgers set in floor of south aisle, including ledger to Samuel Phelps, died 1707 with inscription in Latin, slate stone ledger to Sophia Hawkins, died 1807 of the New House; finely decorated ledger to Richard White of Hillend, died 1793; ledger to Sarah White of Hillend, wife of Richard Biddle died 1800 and other members of that family. Monuments on east wall of south aisle, upper left, white on grey marble monument to William White, died 1807; white marble monument with heraldic shield at top to Mary Helme (nee Fisher) dated 1629. Fine slatestone monument right of window to Thomas and Elizabeth White of Hillend, died 1771, band of fluted decoration at top, swan-necked pediment above, gilded decoration. Benefaction painted on north wall of nave recording a donation of houses and land to the value of £10 for the charitable use of the church and poor made in the reign of Edward III by an unknown donor. Two white on grey marble monuments to members of the Buckle family right of chancel arch. Three C19 marble monuments on south wall of chancel. Four matching late C18 black lettered benefaction boards of matching design at base of tower. Glass: fragments of reused medieval window glass in east windows of chancel and south aisle. (David Verey; The Buildings of England, Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean (1980) and V.C.H., Worcestershire, Vol. VI, pp 53-56. ____

Listing NGR: SO8551130670

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

134127

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970)
Doubleday, AH, Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Worcester, (1924)

End of official list entry

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