Description

FIFIELD CHURCH STREET
SP2218-2318 (North side)
18/90 Church of St. John the Baptist
27.8.57
GV II*

Parish church. Early C13 with C14 tower and porch; nave partly rebuilt 1840;
restored in 1897 by T. Colcutt who added north vestry. Uncoursed limestone
rubble, regularly coursed and dressed to rebuilt south side of nave; slate roofs
with stepped coped verges. Nave; chancel; west tower; south porch and north
vestry. Tower. Narrow and octagonal in 2 stages with chamfered plinth and string
course. Narrow rectangular opening to first stage on west. Belfry has louvred
trefoil-headed openings to north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west
faces. Contemporary octagonal stone spire with ball finial and later brass
weathercock. Datestone at base of spire (not noted at time of resurvey (July
1987) is said to read "1699 IB" and probably refers to a repair at this time).
Nave. South side has small early C14 two-light window with reticulated tracery
and hoodmould high up to west. Large C19 two-light Perpendicular-style window to
left of porch and C19 four-light Decorated-style window to right. C14 porch is
gabled with foliated finial to apex. Massive stone slab roof with projecting
central transverse rib. Crenellated sides with weathered carved heads and
stepped coped verges to front. Pointed outer doorway of 3 orders with concave
hoodmould. North side of nave has 2-light window with reticulated tracery and
hoodmould like that in south wall high up to west. Two-light C19
Perpendicular-style window to right of vestry and C19 four-light Decorated-style
window to left. Gabled bellcote with round-headed arch to east gable end. Vestry
is flat-roofed and has late Perpendicular-style doorway in west wall and
single-light window in north. External lateral stack at junction with nave to
east. Chancel. Two pairs of early C13 chamfered lancets with hoodmoulds to south
and 2 contemporary chamfered lancets on north. Early C14 three-light east window
has reticulated tracery and hoodmould; mutilated foliated cross to gable.
Interior. Roof of porch carried on one arched transverse rib. Pointed C14 south
doorway has continuous wave-moulding and a concave hoodmould. Early C13 chancel
arch is broad, low, pointed and double-chamfered with semi-circular responds,
north with nail-tread ornament and south with moulded capital. C19 king-post roof
in 4 bays to nave and C19 scissor-braced roof to chancel. Single-chamfered
round-headed doorway to tower. Apart from C15 octagonal font with 2 blind
trefoil-headed arches to each face fittings and furnishings are late C19 or
later. Stained glass. Reassembled fragments in south-west chancel window
(formerly in east window) comprise C13 shield of Zouche of Harrington and a
shield of Barton quartering the quarterly arms of Radcliffe for John Barton who
married Cecilia Radcliffe in 1486: also fragments of C14 foliage designs and 19
late C15 quarries. Further reassembled fragments of C14 stained glass in
Perpendicular-style window in north wall of nave. East window 1852 by William
Wailes and north-east nave window in memory of Mary Hambridge also 1852 by
O'Connor. South-east nave window in memory of Frederick Matthews (d.1911) by
Keape/Tower workshop. Monument. Brass plate to Mary Bray (d.1620) and her 9
children on north wall of chancel.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p603)
[2534]

Listing NGR: SP2394818753

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532947

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)