Torbay Council

Listed building outline: Parish Church Of St John The Baptist 383779

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Parish Church Of St John The Baptist 383779

• geometry: MULTIPOLYGON (((-3.569262 50.436842,-3.569274 50.436840,-3.569277...
• entry-date: 1951-03-13
• listed-building: 1195097
• name: Parish Church Of St John The Baptist
• notes: This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 14/01/2013 SX8860 1947-1/5/12 Parish church. C12 origins; C13 alterations; C14 porch; thorough alterations of the early C15 including tower; restoration of 1864 to the designs of Ewan Christian; 1912-1914 vestries to the designs of WD Caroe. MATERIALS: Local red breccia and red sandstone rubble, vestries snecked; Beerstone and C19 Bathstone dressings; slate roofs. PLAN: One of Devon's larger medieval parish churches. Nave, chancel, W tower, N and S 4-bay aisles, N and S transepts, S transeptal chapels between aisle and transepts containing the Lady Chapel to the N and the Kirkham chantry to the S; vestry on S side of chancel. Of the C12 church some chancel masonry survives as does the W door, re-set in the C15 W tower. Chancel includes C13 windows; evidence that arcades are C13 in origin, heightened in the C15. EXTERIOR: Chancel with setback buttresses has massive 5-light transomed traceried E window with hoodmould and carved label stops, masonry C19 but part of arch apears to be medieval. North side of chancel includes some local grey limestone rubble. Two 3-light Perpendicular style traceried N windows with a 3-centred moulded doorway with ballflower ornament and probably C17 two-panel plank and stud door. N transept has an embattled parapet and set-back buttresses. 3-light Perpendicular style traceried E window with hoodmould and label stops. N side of transept almost entirely filled with massive pair of windows with common mullion between but individual depressed segmental-arched heads. Each window 3-light and transomed with quatrefoils in the head. Octagonal embattled rood loft stair turret in angle between transept and aisle. Set-back buttresses to N transeptal chapel which has crow-stepped gable, 4-light Perpendicular style traceried E and W windows and probably C20 5-light N window. 4-bay buttressed N aisle with embattled parapet with medieval beerstone NW pinnacle with crocketed finial. 4-light Perpendicular style traceried windows, one with Y tracery, hoodmoulds and carved label stops. Red sandstone triple hollow chamfered doorway in 2nd bay from the W with probably C16 door of overlapping vertical panels, repaired at the bottom, with variety of latches and dog door. Beerstone ogival holy water stoup, adjacent to doorway. Above the door a short 4-light window with a hoodmould with carved label stops. The W window of the aisle is cut in awkwardly behind the junction with the tower. Similar S aisle, also with awkwardly-positioned W window. Tall 3-stage W tower with internal NW stair turret and embattled parapet with pinnacles. W face has re-sited C12 doorway with alternating red and white stones and detached shafts with scalloped capitals. The round-headed arch has 3 orders of moulding, chevron, saltire crosses and a bead; C19 door. Unusual 4-light Perpendicular traceried W window with brattished horizontal stone bars in the head tracery. W, N and S faces have 3-light square-headed cusped belfry windows. N and S faces have 2-light traceried early C15 windows to 2nd stage. Embattled S porch with diagonal buttresses and C19 moulded red sandstone doorway and quadripartite rib vault springing from corbels decorated with carved feathers. Central carved boss very decayed but appears to depict the Ascension. Chamfered inner doorway with hoodmould and probably C16 door of overlapping planks with strap hinges. Kirkham chantry has crow-stepped gable , set-back buttresses and 4-light Perpendicular traceried W window; renewed 5-light S window with moulded capitals to the mullion. S transept matches the N. The vestry has a coped parapet and, flanked by buttresses, a quirky moulded doorway with depressed shoulders, flat ball-flower carving and a statue niche over. One, 2, 3 and 5-light stone mullioned windows. Carved inscription records that the vestry was erected by Adam Mortimor Singer (q.v. Oldway Mansion) to the memory of his wife. INTERIOR: Arcades with octagonal piers, double-chamfered arches and moulded capitals. Moulded chancel arch springing from octagonal responds with moulded capitals. Nave roof a C19 open wagon; chancel a C19 boarded wagon with moulded ribs, carved bosses and C19 painted panels; flat, panelled aisle roofs with moulded ribs and carved bosses; double-chamfered tower arch, tower roof with 6-panel timber ceiling. Chancel includes Early English 2-light window in S wall, concealed externally by vestry. FITTINGS include the Chapin reredos, given in 1927. Eight stone statue niches with taller 2-tier niches to left and right. Fine sedilia, reconstructed in 1870 using some old fragments with 4 crocketed gables and cusped ogee arches: bright C20 painting. Moulded arches into organ chamber and Lady Chapel on N side. Organ presented 1889 by Paris Singer (qv Oldway Mansion), organ case by M Mowbray. Lady Chapel has a painted panelled ceiling and a very elaborate 1907 E window/reredos ensemble, the window with panelled reveals incorporating statue niches and a 3-bay reredos with figure groups carved in relief. North transept with altar and reredos by Ninian Comper. 1906 rood screen in a traditional Perpendicular local style, doorway with carved figures on the Kenton/ N.Bovey model, by Herbert Read of Exeter; medieval doorways to rood loft stair turret. Fine C15 stone wineglass-stem pulpit, similar to Harberton, with knobbly foliage carving and nodding ogee statue niches. Partly re-coloured, traces of medieval paint survive. Red sandstone Norman font with a circular bowl with palmette ornament. Spectacular late C15 chantry chapel, the best in Devon outside Exeter Cathedral, identified by Prince as being the chantry of the Kirkham family of Blagdon (qv Blagdon Manor). A deep stone screen with 2 Tudor arches contains tomb chests between a central doorway, the whole crowned with masses of pinnacles and carved angels. Recumbent effigies of a lady and knight on the chests, the arches and those of the central doorway with miniature fan-vaulting. Figures damaged, but the minor figures decorating the chest and the iconographic scenes are of a high quality and retain some traces of medieval colour. The iconography is very elaborate and discussed in detail in an article by Rushforth. Inside the chapel a C17 tomb chest to Sir William and Lady Kirkham with 2 kneeling figures facing one another under flat arches. Other monuments include a fine gisant in a cusped tomb recess in the S aisle and a foliated cross, re-sited under a moulded tomb recess with carved spandrels in the N aisle. Various wall tablets, including a slate monument with white marble pediment to Thomas Hunt of Yalberton and tablets to the Belfield family of Primley House (qv). Good collection of C19 and early C20 stained glass including W window of N aisle, signed Heaton, Butler and Bayne and other windows by Hardman and Clayton and Bell. Cope chest at W end of S aisle, made up of fragments of old wood some probably Flemish, with blind tracery. Vestry contains arcade of columns and fine domestic piscina, re-sited here in the early C20, which originated in Kirkham House but was mistakenly thought to have ecclesiastical origins. (The Buildings of England: Cherry B: Devon: London: 1952-1989: 838-9; Transactions of the Devonshire Association, reprint: Rushforth GM: The Kirkham Monument in Paignton Church, Devon: 1927-). Listing NGR: SX8863760836
• reference: 383779
• start-date: 1951-03-13