Church of St John the Baptist

Details

PAWLETT CP BRISTOL ROAD (West side) ST34SW 5/51 Church of St John the Baptist 29.3.63 -

GV I

Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C15, C17, C18 and restored 1915. C20 roughcast, freestone dressings, nave with lead-sheeting roof and ornamental lead cresting at eaves (this probably C18), other roofs with plain and double-Roman tiles. A mix of Early-English and Perpendicular, Norman doorway to south side. Nave, chancel, north and south transepts, large north vestry, south porch, west tower. Three stage embattled tower, buttresses with offsets, 2 to west diagonal, some carved heads below parapet, plain 2-light square-headed bell-chamber windows restored 1734, remains of tracery to east, large stair-turret to south with stepped pyramidal stone roof, pyramidal roof of 1900 to tower, large weathercock of 1731; 3-light Perpendicular west window, C16/C17 west doorway, studded plank door; clock of 1938. Three bay nave with 2 pilaster buttresses to south, 3-light C15 window to north, square head, stopped label, each light with a trefoil head; blocked north doorway; on south side 2 C15 windows, each of 3-lights, one with pointed head and Perpendicular tracery, the other with square head and each light foiled. Gabled south porch, C15, 2-stage angle buttresses, outer door opening with moulded head and plain chamfered jambs, ribbed and studded doors, good iron strap hinges; interior benched on flagstone floor; Norman inner doorway of c1120, 3 orders, inner moulding of lozenges, the second with chevron ornament, the outer with carved heads, no columns (this feature probably a re-set chancel arch). South transept with C13 three-light window to south, lancet with C15 head to east. North transept with traceried C14 three-light north windows and single-light east window. Chancel C13, single bay, rebuilt 1779, 2 renewed triple-lancet windows. Vestry with C15/C16 hollow-moulded 3-light stone mullioned window, narrow single light window to east. Interior: plastered on flagstone floors; nave with C15 barrel ceiling with thin ribs, replastered 1728; barrel ceiling to porch, C15 again replastered 1728; further C15 barrel roofs to transepts; chancel with ceiling of 1779, barrel shaped, 3 large panels enclosed by wreathing in relief. Vestry with plastered barrel ceiling, brick floor. Chancel and tower arches C15; the arches to transepts plain, C13. Norman font, C17 tester. Two C13 piscinae. Good C15 inner south door, ribbed and studded with the original ironwork. Upper and lower entrances to rood with stair, C15 rood screen, very richly carved frieze with vines. Set of Jacobean box pews to nave, transepts and chancel, restored and altered 1915, some renewed in conforming style; Jacobean pulpit; reader made up of reused Jacobean pews. C17 painted texts to north and south aisles; C17 communion rails surrounding altar on three sides, the adjacent panelling C18 with fold-down benches; communion table dated 1678 fragment of C17 carving in the vestry; C17 doors from vestry to chancel and vestry into a C20 boiler room. Royal Arms dated 1708. Mid C19 decalogue plaques and reredos with Lords Prayer. Organ of 1873. Four principal C19 wall monuments. Majority of windows with clear glass and leaded lights, iron saddle and stanchion bars; south window to nave with single piece of medieval stained glass; 2 late C19 stained glass windows; 3 C20 stained glass windows. Small C19 strong box in vestry. (Smith G, Church Guide; Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; SANHS Proceedings, 98, 10-3).

Listing NGR: ST3008642647

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

269492

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset, (1958)
Smith, G, Guide to Church of St John the Baptist Pawlett, ()
Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society in Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Vol. 98, (), 10-13

End of official list entry

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