Church of St John

CHURCH OF ST JOHN

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1107733
Date first listed:
18-Mar-1986
List Entry Name:
Church of St John
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1107733
Date first listed:
18-Mar-1986
List Entry Name:
Church of St John
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN

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

County:
Devon
District:
North Devon (District Authority)
Parish:
Bishop's Tawton
National Grid Reference:
SS 58595 26764

Details

BISHOPS TAWTON HERNER
SS 52 NE
10/45 CHURCH OF ST JOHN

II

Church. c.1870 with reused late Medieval carving inside said to have come from
Barnstaple Guildhall. Squared rubble with brick dressings. Slate roofs with coped
gable ends and apex crosses. Decorated style. Nave, chancel and south transeptal
tower. Tower of 2 stages with crocketted pinnacles at the 4 corners and stepped
parapet. 4-centred arched bell-opening to west side with louvre. Segmental brick
arch to north side with 2 4-centred arched lights infilled. Pointed arched bell-
opening to east side with traceried mouchettes, spandrels and timber lintel. Brick
sill and jamb. The south side has 2-light bell-opening with ashlar dressings,
above single light window in base, all with 4-centred arches. Reused C17 ovolo
moulded window surround with foliated stops to the base of the jambs and thick
glazing bars to 9-pane window on north side, 2nd stage. South side of nave has two
2-light pointed arch windows with quatrefoil and hoodmoulds. Gabled ventilator
above. South porch situated towards gable end with chamfered and stopped surround
to south doorway. Slated gabled roof to porch with apex wooden cross and carved
bargeboards. Pointed arched east and west windows of 3-lights with hoodmould. 2
buttresses with offsets to north side, and 3 pointed arched windows of 2-lights with
hoodmoulds. Single lancets with hoodmoulds to each side of chancel. Pointed
arched doorway on east side of vestry and 2-light window on south side.
Interior: all the openings have Victorian stencilled Vitruvian scrolled surrounds.
There is a considerable amount of reused late medieval carving said to have come
from Barnstaple Guildhall. 2 C19 arch braced trusses to nave roof are corbelled
out with elaborately carved mythical beasts supported on consoles. 2 late C16
carved bench ends to front 2 pews on north side. Stone base to pulpit with drum of
4 facets with Gothic tracery to the reused panels, top rail treated with lunettes
and variously carved heads between linenfolds. The returned end of the open facet
has a tall carving with Oriental figure supported on mythical beast. Above the
priests door is an opening to the tower filled with 3 panels of a reused screen
with flame finials to the 3 ogee-headed lights, sexfoil tracery to the heads.
Reused carvings in the hexagonal font with marble bowl and linenfold panels to the
facets and blind tracery to the panels on the stem. Painted panels to reredos each
side of altar, Truth, Valour, Peace to left side. Patience, Valour, Wisdom to
right side. 4 panels above the altar with reused top rail with grotesque figures
to each end, and lozenge carvings to the panels. Stained glass window to central
nave window on north side to Chichester family 1876.


Listing NGR: SS5859526764

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
98524
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

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 22:13:59.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© 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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