Church of St John the Baptist

Details

TQ 04NW WONERSH C.P. THE STREET (South Side)

1/402 Church of St. John 9/3/60 the Baptist

GV II*

Church. Possible pre-conquest core with C12 tower, embattled in 1751, C13 chancel, C15 north chapel, south side of nave and south transept chapel rebuilt in 1793 by Lord Grantley in "Meeting House style" after a fire. Church restored in 1901 when the east end was rebuilt by Sir Charles Nicholson. Ironstone rubble with chalk conglomerate, Bargate rubble with hard chalk/clunch dressings and Caen stone inside the chancel and north chapel. Sandstone upper stages to tower with brick plat bands and angle quoins. Red and blue brick on south, plain tiled roofs. Nave with narthex to west, transeptal chapel to south side, chancel to east. Vestry Chapel to north and tower on north side. Three stage tower, offset slightly, on tall ground floor stage with plat bands over first and second stages. Round arched brick dressed louvred openings to each face of top stage, one narrow rectangular opening in each face of middle stage and lancet window to lower stage on north stage. Lancet window to north nave wall. C20 pantiled narthex to west end, two round-headed windows over on west under gauged brick heads, brick dentil eaves above on gable. Buttresses alternate with single light windows; round arched openings to north and south ends, that to south now blocked. Three round-arched leaded windows on south side of nave, under gauged brick heads. Brick dentilled eaves and hipped roof to south transept. One round arched leaded window on chapel over door under herringbone brick over door. East window early C20 in Decorated style with round arched window on east side of south chapel. Perpendicular style fenestration on north vestry with panelled double doors to west end under fanlight. Interior:- Remains of old nave and aisle shows in roofs, now all under one roof employing re-used timber. Billeted wall plates to chancel roof. Flat panelled roof on north chapel. Arched entrance to south side of north chapel giving access to chancel, 4-centred arched entrance to west, both on round piers. Chancel walls bear evidence of blocked windows. Late C12 arched entrance from tower into nave. Fittings - triple C20 sedelia to south side of chancel, piscina and aumbry adjacent. Image niche on south wall of chapel with cinquefoil head. C15 rood loft door. Old screen (V.C.H.) now early C20 remodelled by A. K. Nicholson in Jacobethan style. Massive tub font on moulded plinth with thick cable moulding to stem. Elaborate columned and open font cover. Panelled C20 pulpit. Good collection of C18 hatchments. Monuments - Lovall Memorial on west wall - Elizabethan with Guilloche moulding on cornice, flanking Cherub's heads, central vase on apron with vine festoon and grape bunches. Inscription panel now blank. Corinthian capitals of flanking pilasters remain, although the shafts are now gone.

V.C.H. SURREY (1967 ed) Vol. III pp.121-7 PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) pp. 536-7.

Listing NGR: TQ0146445098

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

440373

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I Rev. by Cherry, The Buildings of England: Surrey, (1971), 121-7
Malden, H E, The Victoria History of the County of Surrey: Volume III, (1911), 536-7

End of official list entry

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