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:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1112151
- Date first listed:
- 20-Feb-1967
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
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:
- 2007-09-29
- Reference:
- IOE01/15992/09
- Rights:
- © Mr Neville Broadbent. 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:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1112151
- Date first listed:
- 20-Feb-1967
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 28-Jun-1983
- 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.
- County:
- Essex
- District:
- Uttlesford (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Thaxted
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 61044 31014
Details
1. THAXTED
Church of St John the TL62SW: 5/1 Baptist 20.2.67 (formerly listed as Church of St John the Baptist, St Mary and St Laurence) I
2. C14, C15 and early C16, of flint rubble with limestone and clunch dressings. Lead, slate and tile roofs. North and South arcades are circa 1340, south transept, south porch and porch chamber are late C14. North transept, early C15, Mid C15 north porch and porch chamber. Late C15 west tower, with early C19 spire. Chancel, north and south chapels rebuilt early C16, when clerestorey added. This is the largest church in the County and has numerous original features, notably:- Early C16 east window in Chancel, of 5 cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a segmental pointed head. C16 stair in SE angle, with four centred arch to doorway. North and south arcades are of 4 bays each, with moulded piers and attached shafts, with moulded bases and capitals. 4 centred arches, with pierced traceried spandrels. East window in north chapel is early C16, of 4 cinquefoiled lights with Tracery in a 4 centred head. Moulded jambs and mullions. Stone benches between windows. Four similar windows in north wall with square heads. Doorway with 4 centred arch in sqare head and moulded jambs. Arch to N transept in moulded, 4 centred with attached shafts, moulded bases and capitals. South Chapel detailing matches north chapel, with (l19 south doorway. 4 centred N and S arches, and 2 centred E end to crossing are early C16. W arch is mid C14 of 2 moulded arches with moulded labels, raised in C16. North transept has C15 wheel window of eight radiating cinquefoiled lights. C18 windows in C15 recesses, one with angel stops. C15 west arch, four centred, with attached shafts, with moulded bases and capitals. Blocked C15 window in South transept. South window is C18 in C14 opening. West wall has C14 arch, of 2 moulded arches, with curved angels at the apex of the labels. Capital at south side has figure of St Katherine. North and South arcades to nave are C14, matching west arch of crossing. Piers have 4 round shafts with rolls between. Early C16 clerestery has C18 and C19 windows. North aisle has 5 mid C15 windows, 3 with 4 trefoiled agee lights with tracery under a 3 centred head. The remaining windows are similar but 3. and 5 lights respectively. N doorway has moulded jambs and 2 centred arch, attached shafts, moulded bases and capitals, and angel stops. South aisle 2 windows similar to north aisle and 2 late C14 windows with cinquefoiled lights and tracery in segmental heads. Late C14 south doorway has moulded jambs. 2 centred arch. C15 doorway to porch chamber stair. Modern west window. West tower of 4 stages with semi-hexagonal and battered turrets to lower stages and diagonal buttresses above. Panelled and embattled parapet, with crocketted pinnacles. Bell chamber 2 two light windows in each face, with square heads. Late C15, 2 centred tower arch. Mid C15 north porch, 2 centred entrance archway, with traceried spandrels. E. wall has blocked original window. Stone vault roof. Porch chamber has C19 windows. Late C14 south porch, has 2 centred entrance archway, with smaller 4 centred archways in east and west walls. Church vault roof. Porch chamber has 2 original windows of 4 ogee lights under a square head. Nave roof is early C16 is camber-beamed, 4 panels wide. North aisle roof, of C15, has knees and angel carvings at bay centres. South aisle has carved angels of C16. C14 south transept roof. North transept has King post of late C14 or early C15. Early C16 roofs to chapels, as is the Chancel roof with stout King posts. C15 or early C16 north and south doors. C 1400 Nave door, with ogee headed niches. C16 font case and cover. C17 Pulpit. Late C17 Communion rail. C17 screens to north and south chapel. C17 benches. Brass of 1450 in chancel. (RCHM 2).
Listing NGR: TL6104631017
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 122250
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Other
An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex North West, (1916)
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 23-Jun-2026 at 14:00:08.
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.