Description

SP 7254 BLISWORTH HIGH STREET
(South side)
10/18 Church of St. John the Baptist
17/05/60

GV II*

Church. C14 and C15 with C13 origins, restored 1856 by E.F. Law. South aisle
rebuilt 1926. Coursed squared ironstone and limestone, slate and lead roofs.
Chancel nave, north and south aisles, north porch and west tower. 3-bay chancel
has 5-light east window with unusual Decorated tracery, 3-light Perpendicular
windows to north with four-centred heads, small blocked low-side window to
north-west with cusped head and cut spandrels, similar Perpendicular window to
south-west and two 2-light C13 windows to south that furthest east with
trefoil-in-circle to head, the other with Y tracery; all have hood moulds.
Another blocked low-side window to south-west with double-chamfered stone
surround. Chancel has offset diagonal buttresses and offset buttresses between
bays, and plain stone-coped parapet. Nave has 3-bay clerestory with 2-light
Perpendicular windows and hollow-chamfered stone eaves. Large 1-light window to
south-west end of nave formerly traceried. South aisle stops short of south-west
bay of nave and has large 5-light window to south-east under gable with straight
head, and 3-light window to south with 4-centred head; both have hood moulds.
Moulded and double-hollow-chamfered south door with hood mould. North aisle has
3-light east window with straight head, wide 1-light windows to north-east and
2-light window to south-west, all with 4-centred heads and 2-light window to
west with chamfered stone mullion and straight head; all have hood moulds.
Double hollow-chamfered and moulded north door in porch with datestone inscribed
AD1607/WB CM above hollow-chamfered doorway and 1-light windows either side with
cusped heads; hood moulds to doors and windows. 3-stage west tower is banded
with ironstone to lowest stage and has 2-light C19 Decorated-style west window,
small 1-light window above and to south, clock face in circular stone surround
to north and 2-light bell-chamber openings with cusped heads to lights,
quatrefoil to head and hood moulds; off-set angle buttresses and battlemented
parapet. Interior: chancel has hollow-chamfered piscina with projecting bowl on
shaft. Double-chamfered chancel arch, continuous outermost, polygonal responds
and moulded capitals innermost. Nave has 3-bay arcade to south with octagonal
piers, moulded bases and capitals, that to west with quatrefoil and trefoil
frieze, and double-chamfered arches to polygonal responds. Similar 5-bay arcade
to north with chamfered bases. Plain tub font attached to west pier of north
arcade. Tall C15 rood screen with 1-light divisions. C17 communion rail. Charity
board and another board formerly in tower commemorating a ring on 31st December
1790 and signed 'Rd Dunckley Clerk May 12 1791'. Royal Arms of George III, oil
on board. Some medieval stain-glass to heads of lights of north chancel window,
other C14 and C15 fragments to south chancel window. Stain-glass south-west
chancel window dated 1851. Late C19 stain glass to and north-east chancel
windows. Coloured glass to heads of clerestory windows and east window of north
aisle. Old crown glass panes to other windows, one inscribed God Save the
King/for Ever 1798. Monuments. Brass on chest tomb to Roger Wake, d.1504 and his
wife Elizabeth. Wide ogee-arched tomb recess adjacent. Stone wall monument to
Margaret Blackey wife of Lional Blackey, d.1673 who 'lived a Maide:18/yeares:a
wife 20 and a wid/ow 61'. Stone wall monument to Rebecca wife of Reverend
Jonothan Yates, whose inscription records she was the 'wife of my right hand
and/ioy fortie and foure yeares/ten monthes and one week'. Wall monument, oil on
board, to Robert Watson, schoolmaster, d.1794 and signed Richard Dunkley.
(Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, p108)

Listing NGR: SP7252953410

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17545490

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

• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)