Description

STANFORD ON SOAR MAIN STREET
SK 52 SW
(west side)
7/78 Church of St.John
the Baptist
13.10.66
G.V. I
Parish church. C13, C14, C15, restored 1893-4 by W. S.
Weatherley. Dressed coursed rubble and ashlar. Lead roofs.
Single stack to the west end of the north aisle. Parapets, being
embattled to the nave, aisles, organ chamber, south porch and
tower. Single ridge crosses to east nave, east chancel, organ
chamber and porch. Tower, nave, aisles, north organ chamber,
north vestry, south porch and chancel. Diagonal buttressed tower
of 3 stages with bands, on a moulded plinth and with single
corner gargoyles. Under the embattlements extends a frieze of
quatrefoils set into lozenges. The west side has a moulded
arched doorway with Tudor hood mould and label stops, the
spandrels decorated with single trefoils containing blind
shields. Over is a single C14 arched 3 light window with cusped
tracery, hood mould and figurative label stops. Above is a
single C14 2 light window with cusped tracery under a flat arch
with hood mould and human head label stops. There are 3 stair
lights. 4 arched bell chamber openings each with 2 cinquefoil
arched lights, hood mould and human head label stops, under those
on the north east and south sides are single clock faces. The
buttressed north aisle is on a chamfered plinth and has in the
west wall a single C14 pair of trefoil arched lights. The north
wall has a moulded blocked doorway now with single C19 arched 2
light window with reticulated tracery. To the left are 2 similar
windows, all with hood moulds. The clerestory has 4 C15 arched 3
light windows with cusped panel tracery and continuous hood
mould. There are 4 gargoyles and 4 crocketed pinnacles. To the
left is the C19 diagonal buttressed projecting organ chamber set
onto a chamfered plinth with single C19 arched 3 light window
with cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. To the left,
set back on a chamfered plinth is the vestry in the main C19 but
incorporating some C13 fragments with single C19 arched 2 light
window with reticulated tracery and hood mould. The east wall
has a doorway with moulded surround. The heavily restored
chancel is set on a chamfered plinth. Under the parapet is a
decorative foliate band broken by the east window. North wall
with single similar C19 window with hood mould and label stops
and continuous sill band which extends around most of the
chancel. Diagonal buttressed east wall has a single C19 arched 3
light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and C14 human
head label stops. Single small rectangular opening in the apex.
the south chancel with single C14 gargoyle has a single arched
and restored C14 2 light window with reticulated tracery, hood
mould and human head label stops. To the left is a single
similar smaller window with hood mould and right C14 human head
label stop and left C19 decorative label stop. Further left is a
single C14 arched 2 light window with flowing tracery and hood
mould, under is a single rectangular niche with Caernarvon arched
panel. The east wall of the south aisle has a single restored
C15 arched 3 light window with cusped panel tracery, hood mould
and label stops. The south wall with 4 crocketed pinnacles and 2
gargoyles has 2 similar windows and hood moulds. To the left is
the diagonal buttressed C19 porch with moulded arched entrance
and hood mould. Over is a decorative niche containing single
carved figure. The side walls each have single 3 light windows
with cusped tracery under a flat arch. Inner C19 moulded arched
doorway and hood mould. To the left is a single similar C15
window. The clerestory corresponds to the north. Interior. 3
bay nave arcades, the south C13 with circular columns and
responds, responds with fillets, moulded capitals and double
chamfered arches. North side C14 with octagonal columns and
responds, moulded capitals and double chamfered arches. Triple
chamfered tower arch. The inner order supported on circular
responds with moulded capitals. Double chamfered chancel arch,
the inner order supported on octagonal responds. South chancel
with ogee arched and cusped piscina. Chamfered arched doorway to
vestry. To the left is a single C14 arched 2 light window with
reticulated tracery, hood mkould and label stop to vestry side.
Further left is the moulded organ arch. East wall of north aisle
with single similar window. North wall of north aisle with
moulded arched tomb recess with hood mould with C19 label stops
and finial and containing a damaged C14 reclining effigy of a
knight holding his heart in his hands. South wall of south aisle
with arched and cusped piscina surmounted by single small arched
piscina. C19 decorative alabaster font. Carved C19 reredos.
Remaining furniture C19. Built into the vestry walls are
fragments of C13 decorative carvings. East wall of nave
decoratively painted. Chancel has a C15 floor slab with 2
incised carved figures. There is a good c.1400 brass of a priest.
South aisle south wall with memorial to Francis Lewis, 1743. The
inscription tablet is flanked by decorative volutes, apron
decorated with a shield and skull under. Over the tablet is a
scrolled pediment containing a decorative urn. Further memorial
to Carolus Lewis, 1763. Inscription tablet in form of a
decorative sarcophagus with decorative shield on the apron. West
wall of south aisle with good memorial to Thomas Lewes, 1694.
The inscription tablet in a surround of putti, cartouches and
skulls. Under is a memorial to Charles Vere Dashwood, 1821 by J.
Bacon, London. The inscription tablet is surmounted by 2 draped
urns. On the north wall is a memorial to Caroline Dashwood,
1840, by E. Gaffin, London. The inscription tablet surmounted by
tablet with 2 carved angels with drapes over. On the north wall
of the nave is a memorial to Edith Elizabeth Dashwood, 1911. In
aedicule surround further decorated with carved figures and
garland.

Listing NGR: SK5433422004

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St John the Baptist, Stanford on Soar at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117454

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)