Description

LEEDS

SE24SE CHURCH LANE, Adel 714-1/2/466 (East side (off)) 26/09/63 Church of St John the Baptist

GV I

Anglican church. 1150-1170, C14 and C16 alterations. West gable and bellcote 1838-39 by RD Chantrell, roof restored by RD Chantrell in 1843, restoration 1879. Coursed squared gritstone, stone slate roofs. PLAN: small Norman 2-cell church composed of nave and lower-roofed chancel, bellcote over W end renewed 1839. EXTERIOR: a small unmoulded priest's doorway in the chancel S wall. In the chancel S wall a very fine gabled portal of 1150-55: the doorway is round-arched and has an unbroken roll-moulding and 4 orders, beaked heads on the innermost, rich chevron ornament to the 2nd and 4th and 2 roll-mouldings to the 3rd. The beak-heads and chevrons of the 2 inner orders are continued down the jambs below the carved capitals; the 2 outer orders have round shafts in the jambs, with carved capitals and bases. In the gable a weathered relief sculpture, Christ in Majesty with symbols including the Lamb with flag, the cross, sun and moon as described in Revelations, Chapter 4. The board door with iron studs has a C13 bronze closing ring of fine workmanship depicting a monster swallowing a man. Fenestration: small narrow Norman round-headed windows, those on E and W ends reconstructed; a flat-headed C14 Decorated window in chancel, S side; 2 flat-arched Perpendicular windows to nave, S side. Corbel-frieze with faces and beasts, similar frieze with 2 diminishing tiers along W gable, one head at apex. N side: corner and centre pilasters, 4 Norman windows, roll moulding below, corner pilaster to chancel, carved masks and figures to corbel table. Gable copings, cross finials. Vestry attached by short passage to NW side with hollow chamfered arched doorway and trefoil window on E side; vestry has 3-light E window with reset stained glass, gable above has moulded blocking course; on W side a tall external stack with banded top. INTERIOR: 2 steps down into the church; fine chancel arch of 1160-70, 2 orders with chevron/zigzag, beak-head, chain of rectangles; carved capitals with Baptism of Christ, Crucifixion, centaur with bow, horseman with lance. At the W end the font, octagonal and possibly original (found in the graveyard in 1858), the carved oak canopy by Eric Gill, 1921, depicting the Crucifixion, 6 of the Sacraments, and a Christian arriving in heaven. The pulpit of carved oak has

panels carved in linenfold style, a plaque states that it was presented by EW Beckett of Kirkstall Grange in memory of his wife who died in 1891. Stained glass by Henry Gyles of York to his friend Thomas Kirk, in SW chancel c1706 and vestry (former E window) 1681. (Anon.: Adel Parish Church, Guide Book, c1980; The Buildings of England: Pevsner, N (revised by Radcliffe, E): Yorkshire The West Riding: London: 1967-: 338).

Listing NGR: SE2746240237

External Links

• Church of St John the Baptist at Wikipedia
• Church of St John the Baptist official website
• Wikidata Q17530532

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.

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