Church of St John the Baptist
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1262359
- Date first listed:
- 09-Apr-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2006-02-09
- Reference:
- IOE01/15213/10
- Rights:
- © Mr John Burgoyne. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1262359
- Date first listed:
- 09-Apr-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Devizes
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 00469 61241
Details
DEVIZES
657/3/53 ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD
09-APR-54 CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
I
Major Norman church very likely due to Bishop Roger of Sarum. Massive crossing
tower. Big Norman windows with decorated arches. Paired bell stage openings
flanked by blank arches. 3 arches to north and south, 5 to east and west
as tower is rectangular in plan. Round stair turret higher than tower. The
transept fronts have partially destroyed pairs of Norman windows and a small
Norman window in gable. Again the arches are decorated. Norman buttresses
to chancel and small window in east gable. Other Norman windows Victorian.
The body of the church is Perpendicular. The west front in Perpendicular
style is of 1863 by Slater. Perpendicular north and south transept windows.
Perpendicular porches, 2 storeyed on north side. Chancel flanked by chapels.
The south Beauchamp chapel is very similar to the Beauchamp and Tocotes chapel
at Bromham of 1492. Very ornate. 2 bays with 4 and 5 light windows, densely
decorated battlements and pinnacles. On the east side a tall canopied niche.
The north Lamb Chapel is less ornate. Battlements and pinnacles, buttresses
decorated with pinnacled buttress-shafts in relief.
Inside the Norman crossing has rounded arches east and west but to north and
south they are pointed, a very early example in England. Norman chancel with
low rib vaulting. Scallop and foliage capitals to wall shafts. Blind arcading
of intersecting arches with zigzag, scale pattern in spandrels and above arches.
The arcading on south wall opened as screen to Beauchamp Chapel where the
corbel table of the Norman chancel and transept is still visible decorated
with grotesque heads. The Chapel is as ornate inside as out with fine roof
of traceried panels. The Lamb Chapel also has a fine panelled ceiling. 6
bay arcades to nave, square piers, semi-circular shafts and polygonal abaci,
late C14. Westernmost bay of 1863 contemporary with West front. Perpendicular
pulpit shallow gabled blank arches. Late Cl7 organ case with rich acanthus
ornament to upper part. Heathcote Monument by King 1768. Other late C18
monuments by Westmacott Senior, Richard Westmacott, Prince Hoare and Baily.
Listing NGR: SU0048261237
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 435234
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 23:49:14.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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