Church of Saint John the Baptist
Church of Saint John the Baptist, Church Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 9AE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1293930
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Church of Saint John the Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- Church of Saint John the Baptist, Church Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 9AE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-06-27
- Reference:
- IOE01/04774/34
- Rights:
- © Mr Chris Broadribb. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1293930
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 12-Dec-1985
- List Entry Name:
- Church of Saint John the Baptist
- Statutory Address 1:
- Church of Saint John the Baptist, Church Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 9AE
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 Saint John the Baptist, Church Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 9AE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Knaresborough
- National Grid Reference:
- SE 34712 57185
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 15 February 2023 to update the name and address, remove superfluous source details from text and to reformat the text to current standards
SE 3457
6/190
KNARESBOROUGH
CHURCH LANE
Church of Saint John the Baptist
(Formerly listed in THE PARSONAGE (north side), previously listed in Vicarage Lane)
5.2.52
GV
I
Parish church. Mainly mid C15 with late C12 remains and restoration of c1870. Coursed, squared limestone, ashlar and gritstone dressings, graduated Westmorland slate and lead roofs. Four bay nave with central tower, aisles continued past the line of former transepts, clerestory and porch at west end of south aisle; three bay chancel with north vestry.
Porch: elaborate C18 wrought-iron fanlight over outer arch; C19 board door in C15 doorway; stepped buttresses and gable coping. Nave: south aisle: four three-light Perpendicular windows with intersecting tracery. Clerestory added C19 with three-light windows. Prominent stepped buttresses carried up as large crocketed finials, also restored C19. North aisle has Perpendicular-style three-light windows. Chancel: two three-light Perpendicular windows on south side, and a two-light and a three-light plate tracery window to north. East window of five-lights with restored reticulated tracery. Gable copings and cross-finials to nave and chancel roofs. Tower: four stages over former crossing. Roof-line of former transepts (demolished C15) visible at second stage. Third stage has clasping buttresses and fibre-glass replica of C18 clock face with motto: 'Redeeming the Time'. Top stage has paired trefoil-headed windows with hoodmoulds, shallow diagonal buttresses, ashlar coping and corner pinnacles. Slender lead-covered spire, thought to be early C16.
Interior: nave arcades have tall octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. Triple-chamfered arches from the crossing to the north and south aisles. The arch in west side of south aisle chapel (St Edmund's) has Early English nail-head and dog-tooth decoration, much renewed. The chapel contains crocketed and ogee-headed sedilia, piscina, tomb-recess or Easter sepulchre and a statue niche. The Slingsby chapel at the east end of the north aisle contains fine C17 and later family memorials. Chancel interior restored C19 when the roof was restored. Fine octagonal C15 font with shields and elaborately-carved font cover of c1700.
Listing NGR: SE3471157186
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 330764
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Kellett, A, The Queens Church, (1978)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Yorkshire - The West Riding, (1959), 294
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 10-Jun-2026 at 07:53:47.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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