Description

TL 83 SW LITTLE MAPLESTEAD CHURCH STREET
4/137 Church of St. John the
Baptist
21.6.62

II*

Parish Church, originally a chapel of The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem -
Knights Hospitallers. Circa 1340. Largely rebuilt 1849-55. South Vestry and
West Porch late C19. Flint rubble with limestone dressings. Red plain tiled
roofs. Although practically rebuilt the church is of great interest on account
of the plan. It has one of the five remaining circular naves in England. The
Chancel has a semi-circular apse with traces of the blocked East window. There
are two C19 windows in north and south walls of two lights with quatrefoils over
and C19 stained glass. C19 two centred arched door to south vestry. In the
north wall between the windows are traces of a blocked doorway. There is no
chancel arch. The round Nave with an arcade of six bays. The two centred
arches are of slightly wave moulded orders. The columns are each of three
filleted shafts divided by V shaped projections with C19 capitals and bases (all
much restored). From each pier springs a two-centred arch which crosses the
aisle and rests on carved foliage corbels on the outer wall. The outer wall has
four Cl9 windows, longer but otherwise matching those of the Chancel. West
doorway possibly C14 restored Cl9. Of two chamfered orders the west face carved
with panels containing quatrefoil flowers. Label carved with upright and
reversed triangles, each with trefoil flowers. Arcade walls support a Cl9 bell
turret with a tiled pyramidal roof. Gabled dormers to main roof and small sound
louvres to weatherboarded bell turret. Iron weathercock to apex. Cl9 enclosed
west porch, with 4 light windows to north and south, flint plinth and boarded
front. Vertically boarded double doors. Font. Probably C11. Limestone.
Rough, originally a square bowl, with angles cut away to form an octagon. Two
scroll volutes to two faces, two rounded arches to one face. Off centre saltire
to the fourth face. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL8224833997

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q1742913

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

• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair