Stanton St John : St John Baptist

Grade II listed building with richly decorated early C14 chancel, fine pulpit, poppyhead pews and some good medieval glass

About this church

There has certainly been a church on this spot since the 11th century. The earliest part of the present church, the north arcade, dates from about 1200. The Chancel was built about one hundred years later and the Aisles most likely in the late 14th century, though with the exception of one window in the north-west, new windows were given to the North Aisle in the 15th century. The Tower was also built in that period, c 1450.

From late medieval times until last century little alteration seems to have been made to the structure and such restoration as it underwent appears to have been of a limited and conservative kind. Repairs to the Chancel were undertaken in 1809 and others between 1827-8. From the description given in Parker, the Church was not in a good condition in the 1840′s and the very extensive restoration took place from 1867 to 1870 under the leadership and inspiration of the Rector, the Rev. John Murray Holland.

At a cost of over £500 the Chancel was first restored, the eastern wall being rebuilt from its foundations and then at a cost almost twice as great, the body of the church was restored. For the Chancel, the architect was Buckler, the builder Wyatt and Sons, and thanks to Holland the work was carried out with scholarly care which preserved better than much contemporary restoration work of the period, the real spirit of the medieval building. Holland had hoped that after this restoration ‘no great outlay will be required for centuries’. This proved too great a hope to realise. A hot water heating system was installed in 1914, one of many attempts to keep the congregation warm, and electric light installed in 1936. But, in the 1950’s, expensive work, especially on the roofs, needed to be undertaken. In the 1970′s new flooring was laid in the North Aisle and in the Nave, the re-leading and re-setting of windows in the North Aisle and the Tower, the repair of the battlements, and the re-pointing of the Tower were undertaken. This work was carried out by two firms, Benfield and Loxley, and Symms.

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