Church of Saint John the Baptist

CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1114107
Date first listed:
31-Oct-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

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Date:
2004-10-23
Reference:
IOE01/12718/33
Rights:
© Mr David Black. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1114107
Date first listed:
31-Oct-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF SAINT 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.

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 SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

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

District:
Central Bedfordshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Wrestlingworth and Cockayne Hatley
National Grid Reference:
TL 25616 49653

Details

WRESTLINGWORTH & COCKAYNE HATLEY TL 2449 COCKAYNE HATLEY 6/122 Church of Saint John the 31.10.66 Baptist - I Parish church. C13, C14 and C15, restored 1823-30. Rubble walls, a mixture of cobbles and ironstone. Ashlar dressings. Chancel, nave, N and S aisles, W tower. Embattled parapets throughout. Chancel: rebuilt C14, shortened C19. C19 pointed-arched 3-light E window. N and S elevations each have a C15 2- light window with 4-centred head. S elevation has blocked pointed-arched doorway. Pointed chancel arch, reworked C19. Nave: 4-bay pointed-arched arcades to both sides, N one later C13 with round columns, S one C14 with octagona columns. C15 clerestory has 3 windows to each side, all of 2 lights and square-headed. N aisle: C13, reworked C15. 2-light- 4-centred arched E window. N elevation has 3 3-light square-headed windows with restored reticulated tracery. Pointed-arched doorway reset from C15 S porch (demolished C19), with carved spandrels under square head. S aisle: C14, reworked C19. E elevation has blocked 2-light window with 4-centred head. S elevation has 3 square-headed 3-light windows with C19 reticulated tracery. Blocked C14 pointed-arched doorway, partly below external ground level. W tower: C15. 4 stages, with octagonal stair turret to NE angle. Bell-stage has pairs of tall ogee-headed windows to each side. 3rd stage has small single lights to 2 sides. 2nd stage has 3-light pointed-arched window to W elevation. Below this to ground stage is 4-centred arched doorway. Parapet has C19 pinnacles to angles. Interior: roofs replaced early C19. Nave roof dated 1820 but has imported C15 angel figures to tie beams. C15 octagonal font, carving apparently C19. N aisle E window contains C14 glass, brought from Yorkshire, showing St Edward, St Oswald, St Dunstain and St Sebald. S aisle has polychrome marble wall monument to Sir Patrick Hume, 1627, showing kneeling figures of husband and wife facing each other across a prayer-desk. Nave has brasses to a knight c.1430, a lady c.1490, to Edward Cockayne and wife Elizabeth, 1525, and to William Cokyn, 1527 and 2 wives. Important collection of ornate Baroque woodwork, mainly Flemish, brought by Henry Cust, Lord of the Manor, in the 1820's. This includes communion rail and tower gallery rail from Malines, tower arch screen from Louvain, N aisle screen from St Baron at Ghent, and stalls and stall backs dated 1689 from Aulne Abbey near Charleroi.

Listing NGR: TL2561649653

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
38491
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 Saint John the Baptist

Map

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© 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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