Details
STANWICK ST JOHN STANWICK
NZ 11 SE
3/180 Church of St John the
Baptist
4.2.69
GV I
Church. C13, heavily restored 1868 by Anthony Salvin. Rubble; stone slate,
artificial stone slate and lead roofs. West tower, 4-bay nave with south
aisle and south porch, 3-bay chancel with C19 north vestry. C13 tower of
3 stages, with chamfered offsets; quoins; stepped diagonal buttresses;
single-light ringing-chamber window with shouldered head and 2-light shafted
belfry opening, spout from roof, battlemented parapet; to west, same
openings plus ground-floor lancet window above central buttress, and on
ground between central and south-west corner buttress a medieval stone
coffin on its side; to north, 5-sided C19 stair turret with shouldered-
headed doorway and quatrefoil light vents, and belfry opening as before; to
east, chamfered doorway with hoodmould giving onto nave roof, steep nave
roofline, and belfry opening as before. Nave: porch: plinth with torus
string above, quoins and stepped diagonal buttresses, double-chamfered
continuously hollow-moulded doorway, hollow-moulded string of lower
roofline, sundial above, moulded coping; chamfered slit light vent in right
return; inside, late C13 doorway of 2 chamfered orders, the outer one
shafted and with water-holding capitals; benchtables and in walls, 2 pieces
of sculpture, beakhead voussoirs and medieval grave covers. South aisle:
chamfered single-light C19 west window, carved stones built into south wall,
two C19 three-light windows with Geometric tracery, the right bay blind,
parapet; late C13 chamfered east window of 3 pointed lights with hoodmould
with mask stops. Above aisle, parapet with water spouts on chamfered
string, coping with gable cross to right. North wall has three C19 two-
light windows with Decorated and Perpendicular tracery. Chancel: C19
chamfered low side window, quoined chamfered priest's doorway, 3-light
chamfered mullion window, lancet window, stepped buttress, lancet window,
parapet on hollow-moulded string, coping with gable cross to right; to east,
stepped buttresses flanking C19 three-light window with Decorated tracery;
to north, early C16 window of 3 pointed lights and hollow spandrels with
straight-headed hoodmould overall. C19 vestry with 2-light window, and
heating chamber below. Interior: 4-bay south arcade with double-chamfered
pointed arches with labels resting on octagonal piers, with leaf stops to
label on nave side; double-chamfered tower arch on rounded responds with
nailhead decoration on capitals; double-chamfered chancel arch, the inner
order shafted, with hollow-chamfered abaci and with low screen walls partly
closing opening. Chancel north wall has probably C19 segmental-arched
recess with recumbent effigy. Chancel south wall has C19 trefoiled piscina
and stepped 3-seat sedilia. In the south aisle, a chamfered trefoil-cusped
piscina and aumbry. C19 font with early C17 tall carved canopy. Built into
the west end walls of the south aisle are numerous carved stones, of Anglo-
Saxon and medieval date. At the east end of the south aisle is a large
marble tomb-chest with alabaster effigies of Sir Hugh Smithson d1670,
propped on his elbow, and his wife Dorothy d1691, reclining and with a book;
on the south wall above, monument to the same couple with volutes, festoons
and Latin inscription, and next to it, a helm and gauntlets. On the south
wall of the chancel, marble monument above priest's door to Anthony Smithson
d1688, and Susanna his wife d1674, of 2 panels, flanked by volutes with
festoons and his armorial achievement above. On the north wall of the
chancel, above the vestry door, marble monument to Sir Hugh Smithson d1729
and Margaret his wife, with fluted pilasters, Doric frieze and his armorial
achievement above; also on same side, brass plate to Elizabeth Catterick
d1591. On the east wall of the chancel, well-painted C19 Lord's Prayer,
Creed and Commandment boards. Above the chancel arch, royal coat of arms of
George III. Hatchments on north wall of nave and above south arcade. On
north wall of nave, early C19 marble monument by J Gott to Elizabeth, Julia
and Frances, daughters of Hugh, Duke of Northumberland, with reclining
female and 3 urns; also C17 wall monument to Wingate Pulleine of Carlton
Hall. Below tower are an Anglo-Saxon cross-shaft with entwined beasts set
on a chamfered octagonal base, a detached cross-head and 2 separate pieces
of cross-shaft, also an early parish chest. On the sills of the south and
east windows are worn recumbent effigies. VCH i, pp 132-133.
Listing NGR: NZ1851411984
