Church of St John the Baptist

Details

The following building :-

TM 1716 CLACTON-ON-SEA ST JOHN'S ROAD GREAT CLACTON (north side)

13/24 Church of St John the Baptist GV II*

shall be upgraded to Grade I.

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CLACTON-ON-SEA ST. JOHN'S ROAD TM 1716 GREAT CLACTON (north side) 13/24 Church of St. John the Baptist GV II* Parish church. C12 Nave and Chancel. C15 West Tower. Alterations to Chancel C14. Organ Chamber and restorations C19 and C20, some by Hakewill circa 1865. Septaria and mixed rubble. Dressings of limestone, Roman and C20 brick. Red plain tiled roofs. The 3 bays of the Nave are divided by wide pilaster buttresses which suggest that the roof was formerly vaulted. To each bay is a large restored round headed window, with stone bands under, recessed C12 north and south doorways are below the centre windows, both partly restored with round arches of 3 orders, the 2 outer roll moulded, the inner enclosing a brick tympanum with plain lintel. Jambs each have 2 detached shafts with moulded bases and cushion capitals, plain to south doorway, diaper and twisted inner shafts to north doorway, restored brickwork between shafts. Restored diapering to recess head. South double vertically boarded doors with ornate hinges, diagonal boarding to north door. Chancel east wall with C19 round headed lights either side of-the central buttress, band and similar window over, roundel to gable, all with patterned heads. Cross finial to apex. 3 windows to south wall, those to east of 2 lights with moulded 2 centred arches. Buttress between. The splays and internal shafts probably C12. The C15 western cinquefoiled window is set low in the wall. C19 north organ chamber with lean-to roof, round headed door and window to west wall, round-headed 2 light window to east wall. West tower of 3 stages, the 2 lower stages C15 with angle buttresses, and moulded plinth, C19 weatherboarded upper stage with balusters. Octagonal spire with fish-scale tiles. North-eastern stair turret with loop lights. Timber segmental headed sounding louvres to all faces of belfry. West window of 3 cinquefoiled lights, vertical tracery over, 2 centre arched head, moulded label over. Above this window and to north and south faces are partly restored narrow trefoiled lights with labels over. West doorway, moulded jambs, 2 centred arch, moulded label over. Interior much restored. Nave and Chancel roofs of 7 cants. To west end of Nave are 2 tie beams supporting the arched braced timber frame of a former belfry. This must date prior to the existing C15 tower. Chancel windows with mainly restored shafts and moulded decoration. C19 stained glass. Sedile, dropped cill to southeast window, with a Piscina through the north and west walls of the east splay, each side with a pointed head, octofoil drain. C19 carved panelling to reredos. C19 carved and moulded altar rail. 2 bay arcade of round headed arches to north wall organ chamber. C19 red brick quoins to round headed chancel arch, C19 triforium over of red brick with stone shafts. The Nave windows with deep round headed splays. C19 round headed red brick arches over north and south doorways. C19 carved and panelled pulpit. C19/C20 memorial to west wall, Eldazar Knox, second son of John Knox 1558-1591, sometime Vicar of this parish. C15 octagonal font remodelled 1954, panelled sides of bowl with seated figures and 2 angels holding shields. Two centred moulded and chamfered tower arch, the attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TM1770816529

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

119884

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
An Inventory of Essex North East, (1922)

End of official list entry

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