Description

SO 92 NW STOKE ORCHARD TREDINGTON

7/124 Church of St John
the Baptist
4.7.60

GV I

Anglican parish church. C12, partially rebuilt C13, Decorated and
Perpendicular windows, C17 porch, timber-framed belfry rebuilt
1883. Chancel; limestone and blue lias rubble with sandstone
quoins visible on the north side. Gable at east end rebuilt in
coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone. Nave;
mostly coursed squared and dressed limestone and sandstone with
occasional blue lias rubble. Porch; coursed squared and dressed
limestone, more finely dressed at front. Tower close-studded
timber-framing. Red tile roof. Nave with tower over west end,
south porch and chancel. Nave south wall; flat-chamfered plinth
at south and west ends. Buttressed west end. C20 double plank
doors (now within porch) within a round-headed C12 arch reduced in
height and width in dressed limestone C20. The C12 arch is of 2
orders both with chevron decoration with alternating limestone and
sandstone voussoirs. Hood with nailhead decoration and dragon's
head stop on the left. Sandstone imposts above two freestanding
columns one with chevron ornament, the other with twisted ornament
with primitive scalloped capitals. Pointed 2-light window with
cinquefoil-headed lights to right of the porch. Two-light window
with a trefoil-headed light and quatrefoil and moulded hood
continued as a string course. Nave north wall; C12 north door
with a badly eroded C12 green sandstone tympanum, depicting a
sacred figure holding a staff and another object flanked by a pair
of kneeling figures holding books. Hollow-chamfered hood in
alternating sandstone and limestone. Sandstone imposts and jambs.
Two-light window with pointed surround to right of doorway with
trefoil-headed lights and Perpendicular tracery. Rectangular
probably C15 window to left set back within a deep reveal with
trefoil-headed lights with tracery at the top. Central mullion
and surround with ovolo and stepped mouldings. Diamond leaded
panes with some corners of early window glass. Pointed 2-light
window to left with cinquefoil-headed lights and carved spandrels.
Buttress to left. Chancel north wall: one C13 trefoil-headed
lancet towards the west end. C19 pointed 2-light window to right.
C19 pointed 2-light east window. Nave south wall; buttress at
the west end. Two 2-light pointed windows one with Perpendicular
tracery, one tall narrow round-headed C12 window. Porch with large
plank door at front within a pointed flat-chamfered surround with a
datestone dated and initialled '1624/CB' (possibly Charles Bick) on
datestone in gable. Stone flag floor which contains what may be
the remains of a fossil ichthyosaurus. Original pegged roof
trusses. Two-light stone-mullioned casement in left-hand return,
single tight in right-hand return. Tower; close-studded timber-
framing with wood louvres to belfry windows. Clock on west side.
Pyramidal roof with weather cock at apex. Flat coping at gable
ends with upright cross finials.
Scraped interior: nave and chancel. West end of nave divided
from the remainder of the nave by braced uprights supporting the
tower. Wide low C12 chancel arch of 2 orders with a flat-
chamfered impost hood with finely carved foliate decoration.
Flat-chamfered imposts continued as a band either side of the
archway. Elizabethan coved plaster ceiling with moulded bosses in
the form of human heads, cherubs' heads, roses, fleur de lys and 4-
leafed foliate motifs. Coved plaster ceiling without decoration
to chancel. Red brick floor to nave. Stone flag floor to
chancel. Stone bench seat along the north side of the chancel.
Fixtures and fittings; C17 limestone font at west end of nave.
Octagonal possibly late C18 oak pulpit with blind C17 style
arcading. Pews probably of the same date with carving similar to
that on pulpit at the end of each pew. C17 communion rail with
turned balusters. C17 altar table. C19 finely carved limestone
reredos. C19 commandment boards either side of altar.
Monuments; C19 white and black marble monument to John Bick on the
chancel south wall. C18 stone ledgers in sanctuary to members of
the Surman and Cartwright families. Several ledgers in floor of
chancel. One to Prudence, wife of Charles Bick, died 1639 with
incised rosette another ledger to Charles, son of Charles Bick,
died 1641. Hatchment with the Surman family arms on west wall of
the nave. Early C20 circular candelabra with painted gold
decoration.
(David Verey, The Buildings of England, The Vale and the Forest of
Dean, 1980)

Listing NGR: SO9049529489

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526438

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

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living