Description

SO 61 NW RUARDEAN HIGH STREET
(north side)

5/172 Church of St. John the Baptist

23 9 55

GV II*

Parish Church; C12, C13, C15, restored 1890. Large, well-squared
stone approaching ashlar to tower; porch roughly squared stone;
south aisle ashlar on random rubble base; chancel east wall
ashlar, well-squared stone south wall high up above random rubble.
North wall squared stone brought to courses. Tiled roof. Nave,
chancel, south aisle, west tower, south porch, organ chamber.
South facade: moulded plinth to tower, diagonally-set corner
buttresses to west, south one with arched recess for statue on
lowest stage. Semi-octagonal stair turret at south-east corner.
Tower in 4 stages, with moulded strings. Third stage has clock in
blocked arched opening with hoodmould, fourth 2-light Perpendicular
tracery window with stone louvres. Plain parapet with gargoyles
on south face: octagonal spire with roll moulding to arrises;
access window on south face under hood: crown carved on spire
half-way up; weathercock on finial. Double stone pinnacles and
flying buttresses to spire from corners of tower. South aisle has
no plinth; diagonally-set western buttress with plinth. Porch to
left of centre, wide Early English doorway with hoodmould and
carved head above, latter off centre. Scalloped bargeboards to
gable. Aisle has one lancet window each side of porch: parapet
gables. Chancel, 3-light south window towards left: diagonal
corner buttress, parapet gable with cross-gablet and floriate cross
at apex. Chancel ridge tiles crested, with further cross at
junction with nave. Nave and chancel roofs otherwise in one run:
no clerestory to nave. On north ragged ends to organ chamber side
walls, for unbuilt vestry.
Internally, south door to porch has single shaft either side,
plain, semi-circular head with well-preserved carving of St. George
and Dragon in tympanum (C12). Above is a pointed hoodmould to
blind opening with cinquefoil head, top foil ogee. Stone benches
in porch. South aisle, 4-bay Early English arcade, circular
pillars, moulded caps and bases, carved head on east respond.
Open roof with arch-braced collar trusses; half-trusses between
without braces. Walls plastered throughout church. High arch to
tower with no capitals, tierceron vault with octagonal bell-hole.
Nave roof as aisle: low arched recess in north wall towards east
end, trefoil tracery. Chancel, panelled boarded barrel vault;
Early English piscina with trefoil head: blocked door by south
aisle originally served rood loft stairs. Pulpit 1635 oak on late
C19 stone base: 2 panels each face, scratch mouldings: lower
panels modelled to form St. Andrew's Cross, upper 9 small panels.
C19 brass candlestick used as electric light. Font stone
octagonal bowl, with splayed stem, base square: dated 1657.
Church heavily restored 1890 by Waller & Son of Gloucester: flying
buttresses to spire added 1866. (D. Verey, Gloucestershire, the
Vale and Forest of Dean, 1970; the Rev. L. J. Bowyer, The Church
of St. John the Baptist, Ruardean, 1972).

Listing NGR: SO6211517690

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17537331

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)