Description

SO 83 SE CHACELEY CHACELEY VILLAGE

2/7 Church of St. John the Baptist

10.1.55

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C12, C13, general rebuilding C14, C15,
rebuilding of nave north wall early-mid C19, partial rebuilding of
chancel from base of windows up 1882 by E.Christian. Chancel;
sandstone plinth, coursed blue lias and coursed squared and dressed
sandstone. Nave north wall rebuilt in brick retaining sandstone
buttresses. Tower; lower stages lias, upper stage sandstone,
sandstone spire. Red tile roof. Plan; nave with south aisle,
chancel and west tower. Chancel south wall; one 2 and one 3-
light C19 window with trefoil-headed lights in rectangular
surrounds flanking C19 plank priest's door in flat-chamfered
pointed surround. C19 three-light east window with tracery and
hood with head stops. Chancel north wall; one 2-light window as
in south wall, one pointed window with quatrefoil. Buttressed
nave north wall, two 2-light pointed windows with ogee cusped
trefoil heads and quatrefoils flanking blocked north doorway with
segmental-headed brick surround. Three stage tower with diagonal
buttresses. Lower stages C13, upper stage C14 with small spire.
Two-light C13 pointed window with cinquefoil-headed lights over C19
plank door, west door within shouldered surround. Single slit
lights to second stage. Two-light belfry windows with sandstone
louvres, embattlemented parapet, octagonal spire. South aisle:
diagonal and clamp buttresses. Two 3-light C19 pointed windows
with reticulated tracery and stopped hoods with carved stops
(similar to those in nave arcade) flanking late C19 porch. Early
plank door with cover strips, from porch to south aisle in double-
chamfered pointed-arched surround. C19 hoodmould with large C14
head stops.
Interior: 4-bay nave arcade with octagonal piers with corbel heads
(mostly men with hair curled in the fashion of the C14). C14
Decorated piscina on south wall of south aisle. Double-chamfered
C15 pointed arch to tower from nave. Remodelled C12 stilted
chancel arch of 2 orders with intersecting zig-zag and grotesque
face forming keystone, under a double billet moulding. Engaged
jamb shafts with scalloped capitals one with shallowly carved face.
Three-bay nave with recess in position of blocked north door.
Chancel: flat-chamfered pointed-headed surround to priest's
doorway into chancel. C14 Decorated aumbry divided into 2 unequal
compartments with pointed openings, blind tracery decorating stone
surround above right of altar. Cinquefoil-headed piscina in south
wall with ogee arched hood. Nave roof; C19 boarding below
former segmental ceiling, original tie beams retained. C14 wagon
roof in south aisle. C19 arch-braced roof to chancel. C19 red
tile floor to nave and south aisle, C19 red and brown tiling and
decorative encaustic tiling in chancel, small patch of decorated
medieval tiling in north-east corner of chancel. Fittings; C13
or early C14 octagonal font formed from single stone block on
circular base towards west end of south aisle. Late C19 wooden
pews some incorporating C15 carved panels. Cl9 oak pulpit.
Late C19 wood lectern. Wooden stocks for 3 in south aisle,
(formerly outside church). Drum in south-east corner of aisle
with Royal Arms of 1817. Wooden chest with large dovetail joints
and 3 locks at west end of nave. Early C19 organ under eastern
arch of nave arcade. Fragment of octagonal cross shaft at east
end of south aisle C19 harmonium in chancel. C19 communion rail
with wrought-iron uprights, C19 altar and reredos. Monuments;
C19 ledger right of altar, another left to Margaret Buckle, died
1675 with heraldic shield. Below step up to sanctuary limestone
ledger to Charles Dowdeswell died 1775. Unusually large
slatestone ledger at centre of chancel to Sarah Buckle, died 1733
and other members of the Buckle family of the New House (q.v.),
foliate decoration at corners. Three eroded stone ledgers in nave
aisle, 6 ledgers set in floor of south aisle, including ledger to
Samuel Phelps, died 1707 with inscription in Latin, slate stone
ledger to Sophia Hawkins, died 1807 of the New House; finely
decorated ledger to Richard White of Hillend, died 1793; ledger to
Sarah White of Hillend, wife of Richard Biddle died 1800 and other
members of that family. Monuments on east wall of south aisle,
upper left, white on grey marble monument to William White, died
1807; white marble monument with heraldic shield at top to Mary
Helme (nee Fisher) dated 1629. Fine slatestone monument right of
window to Thomas and Elizabeth White of Hillend, died 1771, band of
fluted decoration at top, swan-necked pediment above, gilded
decoration. Benefaction painted on north wall of nave recording a
donation of houses and land to the value of £10 for the charitable
use of the church and poor made in the reign of Edward III by an
unknown donor. Two white on grey marble monuments to members of
the Buckle family right of chancel arch. Three C19 marble
monuments on south wall of chancel. Four matching late C18 black
lettered benefaction boards of matching design at base of tower.
Glass: fragments of reused medieval window glass in east windows
of chancel and south aisle. (David Verey; The Buildings of
England, Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean (1980)
and V.C.H., Worcestershire, Vol. VI, pp 53-56. ____

Listing NGR: SO8551130670

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538492

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)