Description

SP 79 NW GLOOSTON MAIN STREET (South Side)

3/17 Church of St. John the Baptist

7.12.66

II

Parish Church. Mostly of 1866 by Joseph Goddard of Leicester, with a few fragments
of the earlier Church incorporated. Coursed ironstone rubble with Welsh slate
steeply pitched roof. Small single celled structure, with western bell turret
and chancel only slightly narrower than the nave. Paired gables to western
bell turret, the west wall given expression by a massive central and two outer
buttresses. Foiled lancet windows to either side of central buttress. South
windows are Perpendicular in style with squared stilted hood moulds, with label
stops and may be restorations of original windows. South door in buttressed
and coped gabled porch with outer arch with stilted hood mould, scissor braced
roof and inner chamfered arched doorway, a fragment of an earlier Church -
C13 or C14, with corbel heads. Chancel windows also in Perpendicular style,
the stilted hood moulds terminating in label stops that are angels etc. Slim
buttresses to east wall, and east window of 3-lights in Decorated style. Ridge
cresting and coped eastern gable with cross finial. North wall similarly detailed
to south, with small high Victorian gothic gabled chimney to east, and one possible
mediaeval lancet window. Mediaeval also the blocked north doorway with heavy
corbel heads.

Inside vigorous high Victorian detail, the nave roof of king post construction
on long raking braces supported on ornate corbels and with frequent secondary
rafters. Continuous moulded sill band throughout nave, piscina in north wall,
the ogee arched recess Victorian, the mutilated basin a mediaeval survival.
Chancel only slightly structurally divided from nave, but is distinguished
by a wooden chancel arch, resembling a massive roof truss, supported from stone
foliate corbels. Chancel roof is amply timbered with scissor bracing. Small
Victorian sedilia, and mediaeval piscina, ogee arched with crouching figure
supporting the basin. Fittings including pews and pulpit and the south door
probably date from 1866. Stained glass in one north nave lancet, 1863 and
chancel east window 1867, Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The east window depicts
scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist, and is richly coloured and Preraphaelite
in mood. Font may be mediaeval. Plain octagonal basin and plain base.

Listing NGR: SP7487395790

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26606351

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
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  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6