Description

SP9277
1337-0/18/150
25/02/57

CRANFORD
CHURCH LANE, Cranford St.John
(North side)
Church of St. John

(Formerly Listed as Church of St.John The Baptist)

GV II*

Parish church. C12 origin, chancel, north chapel and tower to
north aisle C14, south aisle 1842 extended 1880 to house
organ, restored and reseated 1887. Coursed limestone rubble
with a little ironstone ashlar dressings. Nave and aisle roofs
not visible (probably of lead), chancel and porch roofs of
Collyweston stone slates. Aisled nave with north and south
porches, chancel with north chapel, west tower. Tower of 2
stages: tall lower stage has ironstone bands, diagonal
buttresses with 3 set-offs, blocked west doorway with
depressed ogee lintel and lancets to west and south. Bell
stage has 2-light Decorated windows with transom and
quatrefoiled heads, blind traceried frieze and castellated
parapet on moulded eaves. Gargoyles at angles. Nave has
parapet and 3 clerestorey windows to each side: spherical
triangles flanking a traceried circle, original to north but
C19 to south. North aisle and north chapel have buttresses,
cill bands and parapet with head spouts. Chapel also has
plinth, a 3-light square-headed window with hood mould and a
similar 2-light window with head stops to hood mould. North
aisle has a similar 2-light window either side of a C19 porch.
East end of north chapel has a C19 doorway with lancet over.
Chancel has coped gable with finial. 3-light east window with
intersecting tracery. South side of chancel has a renewed
2-light square-headed window with a rectangular panel above
flanked by carved heads (perhaps reused) and incorporating a
diamond- shaped stone inscribed IL 1622. East end of south
aisle has a similar renewed 2-light window, and south face of
aisle has four 2-light C19 Decorated style windows, one to
left of porch and three to right. C19 porch has diagonal
buttresses, parapet gable and arched entry with head stops to
hood mould. Door of overlapping studded boards. Interior:
3-bay both nave arcade, 2 wide round arches of 2 orders
carried on a cylindrical pier and triple responds with
stiff-leaf capitals, and a small and simpler round arch of
ironstone carried on corbels at west end, perhaps reused.
Segmental- headed recess in north aisle, containing carved
head. Roof left doorway with depressed ogee head -
necessitating big buttress in north aisle to support chancel
arch of 2 chamfered orders. South arcade of 1842 imitating
details of north arcade, built by Reverend Sir George Stamp
Robinson as a memorial to 2 of his children. Nave roof has
ovolo-moulded tie beams (repaired), purlins and ridge-piece,
rafters renewed. North aisle roof retains some chamfered
beams, but south aisle and chancel roofs are C19. Chancel has
2- bay north arcade carried on an octagonal pier and
semi-circular responds. C19 opening to south with similar
details. Low doorway to east end of north chapel, now vestry,
which contains oval wall monument to Jane Coo, d.1656, a slate
tablet in a richly-carved stone surround. East window contains
reused medieval and later glass of diverse origins, and at the
top, Victorian glass depicting St. Andrew and St. John, with
an inscription commemorating the union of the benefices of the
2 Cranford churches. Lower part of Jacobean screen. C16
Flemish panels carved with Biblical scenes reset in C19
pulpit. Plain octagonal font.
(V.C.H.: Northamptonshire, III: pp.191-2; Buildings of
England: Northamptonshire: pp.167-8).

Listing NGR: SP9272677092

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17557947

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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