Church of St John the Baptist

Details

The following building shall be added to the list:-

TQ18NE HARROW STATION ROAD
(south east side)

4/10008 Church of St John the Bapist

GV II

Anglican church. Designed in 1902 by John Samuel Alder, the foundation stone laid on 16 July
1904 and the nave consecrated in 1905, the eastern bay of the nave was completed
posthumously in 1925; the chancel and chapel were completed in 1938 to revised designs by
Martin Travers. Stone with roofs of green slate laid in diminishing courses. Decorated style to
nave, with the chancel having Perpendicular style tracery. The plan comprises a nave with aisles
and vestigial transepts, chancel, chapel and linked vestry.
Square chancel of one bay with five-light Perp (ritual) east window, three-light south window
in stripped style, and segmental barrel-vaulted roof of wood, painted light blue and cream with
touches of gold. The chancel roof lower than that of the nave, the gap being filled by a painting
depicting Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and the dedicatio saint. North chapel of three bays,
including the easternmost bay of the north aisle, with single lancets and three-light east window
to Travers's deliberately stripped design - these in stark contrast to the rich decorated tracery
used by Alder elsewhere. Wood roofs to the centre and sanctuary, the colours of the former
identical to the chancel already described.
Nave of six bays, the easternmost demarcated by a low parapet wall to form a choir area which
has carved benches arranged in a collegiate fashion. Westernmost bay half the width of the rest,
with two-light instead of the four-light windows found elsewhere, a device common in Alder's
work. Two-light clerestorey windows to each bay. The nave roof a pointed barrel vault in
wood, with arched ribs defining bays and intermediary bays. North and south nave aisles with
lean-to roofs having arched principles to nave arcade. The easternmost aisle bays are set off from
the rest by transverse pointed arches in stone; the easternmost aisle bays are set off from the rest
by transverse pointed arches in stone; the easternmost bay of the north aisle with roof on
transverse axis forming a vestigial transept. Outside and to the east this was to have been
completed by a spire. Organ chamber to easternmost bay of south aisle. North-west porch;
single entrance to west end. Shallow porch entrance to north transept.
Furnishings include carved wood pulpit to ritual north-east of nave, with stair and tester, and
a small stone font at east end of north aisle. The reredos and altar front hidden by cloths at time
of inspection (7 June 1994); altar raised on three steps to from a sanctuary enclosed by a
wooden rail. Elegant 1914-18 War Memorial formed from part of north wall of chapel. Wood-
block paving in herringbone pattern. Fragments of old glass to head of east window; good C20
glass elsewhere but most windows largely filled with opaque and tinted leaded lights. All door
furniture and most rainwater goods of original design. On east nave wall externally a carved
relief inscribed 'ECCE AGNUS DEI'.
There is a projecting single-storey vestry of stone and green slate in the Decorated style, with
lancets joined in twos and threes under heavy hood moulds, to the ritual south-east. It is firmly
linked to the main structure by a stout passageway.


Listing NGR: TQ1567788379


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 October 2017.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

458322

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 30 October 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/11139

End of official list entry

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