Church of St John the Baptist

Details

SO 92 NW STOKE ORCHARD TREDINGTON

7/124 Church of St John the Baptist 4.7.60

GV I

Anglican parish church. C12, partially rebuilt C13, Decorated and Perpendicular windows, C17 porch, timber-framed belfry rebuilt 1883. Chancel; limestone and blue lias rubble with sandstone quoins visible on the north side. Gable at east end rebuilt in coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone. Nave; mostly coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone with occasional blue lias rubble. Porch; coursed squared and dressed limestone, more finely dressed at front. Tower close-studded timber-framing. Red tile roof. Nave with tower over west end, south porch and chancel. Nave south wall; flat-chamfered plinth at south and west ends. Buttressed west end. C20 double plank doors (now within porch) within a round-headed C12 arch reduced in height and width in dressed limestone C20. The C12 arch is of 2 orders both with chevron decoration with alternating limestone and sandstone voussoirs. Hood with nailhead decoration and dragon's head stop on the left. Sandstone imposts above two freestanding columns one with chevron ornament, the other with twisted ornament with primitive scalloped capitals. Pointed 2-light window with cinquefoil-headed lights to right of the porch. Two-light window with a trefoil-headed light and quatrefoil and moulded hood continued as a string course. Nave north wall; C12 north door with a badly eroded C12 green sandstone tympanum, depicting a sacred figure holding a staff and another object flanked by a pair of kneeling figures holding books. Hollow-chamfered hood in alternating sandstone and limestone. Sandstone imposts and jambs. Two-light window with pointed surround to right of doorway with trefoil-headed lights and Perpendicular tracery. Rectangular probably C15 window to left set back within a deep reveal with trefoil-headed lights with tracery at the top. Central mullion and surround with ovolo and stepped mouldings. Diamond leaded panes with some corners of early window glass. Pointed 2-light window to left with cinquefoil-headed lights and carved spandrels. Buttress to left. Chancel north wall: one C13 trefoil-headed lancet towards the west end. C19 pointed 2-light window to right. C19 pointed 2-light east window. Nave south wall; buttress at the west end. Two 2-light pointed windows one with Perpendicular tracery, one tall narrow round-headed C12 window. Porch with large plank door at front within a pointed flat-chamfered surround with a datestone dated and initialled '1624/CB' (possibly Charles Bick) on datestone in gable. Stone flag floor which contains what may be the remains of a fossil ichthyosaurus. Original pegged roof trusses. Two-light stone-mullioned casement in left-hand return, single tight in right-hand return. Tower; close-studded timber- framing with wood louvres to belfry windows. Clock on west side. Pyramidal roof with weather cock at apex. Flat coping at gable ends with upright cross finials. Scraped interior: nave and chancel. West end of nave divided from the remainder of the nave by braced uprights supporting the tower. Wide low C12 chancel arch of 2 orders with a flat- chamfered impost hood with finely carved foliate decoration. Flat-chamfered imposts continued as a band either side of the archway. Elizabethan coved plaster ceiling with moulded bosses in the form of human heads, cherubs' heads, roses, fleur de lys and 4- leafed foliate motifs. Coved plaster ceiling without decoration to chancel. Red brick floor to nave. Stone flag floor to chancel. Stone bench seat along the north side of the chancel. Fixtures and fittings; C17 limestone font at west end of nave. Octagonal possibly late C18 oak pulpit with blind C17 style arcading. Pews probably of the same date with carving similar to that on pulpit at the end of each pew. C17 communion rail with turned balusters. C17 altar table. C19 finely carved limestone reredos. C19 commandment boards either side of altar. Monuments; C19 white and black marble monument to John Bick on the chancel south wall. C18 stone ledgers in sanctuary to members of the Surman and Cartwright families. Several ledgers in floor of chancel. One to Prudence, wife of Charles Bick, died 1639 with incised rosette another ledger to Charles, son of Charles Bick, died 1641. Hatchment with the Surman family arms on west wall of the nave. Early C20 circular candelabra with painted gold decoration. (David Verey, The Buildings of England, The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1980)

Listing NGR: SO9049529489

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

134532

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970)

End of official list entry

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