Description

PAWLETT CP BRISTOL ROAD (West side)
ST34SW
5/51 Church of St John the Baptist
29.3.63
-

GV I

Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C15, C17, C18 and restored 1915. C20
roughcast, freestone dressings, nave with lead-sheeting roof and ornamental
lead cresting at eaves (this probably C18), other roofs with plain and
double-Roman tiles. A mix of Early-English and Perpendicular, Norman doorway
to south side. Nave, chancel, north and south transepts, large north vestry,
south porch, west tower. Three stage embattled tower, buttresses with offsets,
2 to west diagonal, some carved heads below parapet, plain 2-light square-headed
bell-chamber windows restored 1734, remains of tracery to east, large
stair-turret to south with stepped pyramidal stone roof, pyramidal roof of 1900
to tower, large weathercock of 1731; 3-light Perpendicular west window, C16/C17
west doorway, studded plank door; clock of 1938. Three bay nave with 2 pilaster
buttresses to south, 3-light C15 window to north, square head, stopped label,
each light with a trefoil head; blocked north doorway; on south side 2 C15
windows, each of 3-lights, one with pointed head and Perpendicular tracery,
the other with square head and each light foiled. Gabled south porch, C15,
2-stage angle buttresses, outer door opening with moulded head and plain
chamfered jambs, ribbed and studded doors, good iron strap hinges; interior
benched on flagstone floor; Norman inner doorway of c1120, 3 orders, inner
moulding of lozenges, the second with chevron ornament, the outer with carved
heads, no columns (this feature probably a re-set chancel arch). South transept
with C13 three-light window to south, lancet with C15 head to east. North
transept with traceried C14 three-light north windows and single-light east
window. Chancel C13, single bay, rebuilt 1779, 2 renewed triple-lancet windows.
Vestry with C15/C16 hollow-moulded 3-light stone mullioned window, narrow single
light window to east. Interior: plastered on flagstone floors; nave with C15
barrel ceiling with thin ribs, replastered 1728; barrel ceiling to porch, C15
again replastered 1728; further C15 barrel roofs to transepts; chancel with
ceiling of 1779, barrel shaped, 3 large panels enclosed by wreathing in relief.
Vestry with plastered barrel ceiling, brick floor. Chancel and tower arches C15;
the arches to transepts plain, C13. Norman font, C17 tester. Two C13 piscinae.
Good C15 inner south door, ribbed and studded with the original ironwork.
Upper and lower entrances to rood with stair, C15 rood screen, very richly
carved frieze with vines. Set of Jacobean box pews to nave, transepts and chancel,
restored and altered 1915, some renewed in conforming style; Jacobean pulpit;
reader made up of reused Jacobean pews. C17 painted texts to north and south
aisles; C17 communion rails surrounding altar on three sides, the adjacent
panelling C18 with fold-down benches; communion table dated 1678 fragment of
C17 carving in the vestry; C17 doors from vestry to chancel and vestry into a
C20 boiler room. Royal Arms dated 1708. Mid C19 decalogue plaques and reredos
with Lords Prayer. Organ of 1873. Four principal C19 wall monuments. Majority
of windows with clear glass and leaded lights, iron saddle and stanchion
bars; south window to nave with single piece of medieval stained glass; 2 late
C19 stained glass windows; 3 C20 stained glass windows. Small C19 strong box
in vestry. (Smith G, Church Guide; Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West
Somerset, 1958; SANHS Proceedings, 98, 10-3).

Listing NGR: ST3008642647

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St John the Baptist, Pawlett at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117451

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)