Description

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TQ 14SE
8/105

CAPEL C.P.
THE STREET (West Side)
Church of St. John the Baptist

11/11/66

GV
II*

Church. C13, rebuilt and restored in 1865 by H. Woodyer. Sandstone and Bargate stone blocks with ashlar dressings, Horsham slab roofs with wood-shingled bell-cote and broach spire above under iron finial. Aisled nave, that to north under catslide, with chancel to east, vestry to north, porches to south and west and bell-cote to west end. Arched two-light openings in each face of tower with scalloped ends to louvres. Diagonal offset buttresses on west end with sill moulding to base of end gable; C19 lancet in gable apex. Decorated style west window to north aisle, offset buttresses to north aisle north wall with one six and one five-light window, broach stops to mullions and quatrefoils over trefoil-head single light tracery.

Small gable to North end of vestry with a two-light, hood- moulded window and small door in buttress at junction with aisle. Further door to east of vestry in pentice roofed extension at right angles to chancel. Diagonal buttresses to east end with three-light and three cinquefoil roundels over in east window. Three C13 lancets in south side of chancel with diagonal chalk buttress at junction with nave. Three lancets to west of south porch, one lancet and one plate-tracery window east of porch. Gabled porch to west with 'clunch' surround to arched door, partly recut.

Main entrance to south:- buttresses to ends flanking two-step, chamfered, arched door surround under cambered tie beam to heavy, framed gable with King-post truss and scalloped bargeboards. Dogstooth moulding over surround to south door.

Interior:- Crimped patterning around south door and tower door. Bell cage of old design with chamfered posts and cross bracing, similar in design to Buckland Church. C19 spiral staircase, again similar to that at Buckland, with pierced decoration. Four bay north arcade, two round piers and two half-pier responds; west bay on pier responds. Chamfered chancel arch. Windows on north aisle have octagonal piers supporting rear lintel, broach stops to base of piers.

Fittings:- C19 screen. Pulpit - Whitestone and coloured marble shafts under foliate caps. Arcaded sides. Piscinae to north and south walls of chancel. Fine font of black marble. Octagonal, on thick, round stem with gilt carving. Crimped decoration to font cover, crucifix decoration on alternate faces.

Monuments:- South Chancel wall:- John Cowper d.1590. Coloured marbles and painted, Kneeler type with crowning broken pediment, containing central heraldic roundel, on Composite columns. Arched panels over figures, set back, with half-eggs in spandrels. Scrolled apron and inscription panels below. Robert Cowper. 1720. Wall tablet in City Baroque style. Open segmental pediment with crowning cartouche on Composite, attached half-columns and flanking scrolls. Drapery over central arched inscription panel and gadrooning to base.

PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) p.131.

Listing NGR: TQ1755440757

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26658572

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

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)