Parish Church of St John the Baptist

Details

TL 4848 PAMPISFORD CHURCH LANE (West Side)

10/202 Parish Church of St John the Baptist 22.11.67 with High Street GV II*

Parish church. C12 nave, south doorway with noteworthy carved tympanum, north arcade inserted c.1200. Chancel early C13, west tower c.1330 added to shortened nave; wide tower arch in anticipation of a larger tower. Chancel arch rebuilt and north aisle widened C15. Restorations in 1850, and 1856 by P.C. Hardwick (1822-90) when the south porch was added; 1876-91, and 1893-7 by Sir Arthur Blomfield (1829-99), vestry and organ chamber. Walls of flint rubble with clunch and limestone dressings, red plain tiled roofs, small lead covered spire. South elevation: Tower of two stages with embattled parapet and angle buttresses of two stages rising to belfry height. Belfry window of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in two centred arch; lancet window blocked by clock face. Nave and chancel roofs with parapet gables and cross finials. C12 south-west quoin to nave. Three restored C19 windows, South doorway C12, jambs each with C19 detached shafts with original capitals, east with leaf ornament and west with small volutes, and chamfered abaci, round arch with carved tympanum with design of ten arches each with a figure or object (P.C.A.S.) depicting incidents connected with the life and death of St John the Baptist. South porch by Hardwick, wooden, Gothic style with steep roof and deep bargeboards, lights with tracery. Gabled, buttresses to east quoin and to east walls of chancel. Chancel with two C19 windows and priest's door. Interior: Nave arcade of four bays cut into C12 wall, two-centred arches with narrow chamfered edges. First and third octagonal, centre pier circular, all with octagonal to square moulded caps, first pier has leaf ornament at angles of cap, base of central pier roll-moulded; north aisle rebuilt C19. Tower arch two-centred of three chamfered orders with semi octagonal attached shafts. Chancel arch late C15 two-centred of two hollow-chamfered orders, at the apex a carved corbelled bracket. The responds have a moulded capital carved with paterae, and moulded base. Font C12 retooled, octagonal bowl with round corner pieces to squared base with C19 pedestal and plinth. Font cover C15 octagonal ogee with crocketed ribs and band of quartrefoils at base, C16 figures of St John baptising Christ added later. Screen, late C15 of three main bays with pierced tracery and transomed foiled panels. Two C17 chairs. C19 hatchment in north aisle. Monuments in chancel, Richard Nash 1805 and in north vestry reset stone to Nash family 1805-1829; north aisle wall monument to Margaret wife of Wm Parker Hamond of Pampisford Hall 1845; recessed stone slab with cusped arch and crocketed label and finial to Wm Parker Hamond 1812 and Mary his wife 1850; white tablet surmounted by draped urn to Caroline Mackenzie daughter of Mrs Parker Hamond 1841. Nave roof restored by Hardwick and chancel roof by blomfield. Glass by Kempe.

R.C.H.M. Report 1951 V.C.H., Vol. VI, p111-2 Colvin. English Architects, p263 Pevsner. Buildings of England, p448

Listing NGR: TL4977548248

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

52034

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1978), 111-2
Colvin, H M, A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1600-1840, (1954), 263
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1970), 448

Other
Reports on Buildings in the Parishes of Babraham Great Abington Hildersham Linton Little Abington and Pampisford Cambridgeshire, (1951)

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