Building record 422/1/1 - Church of St. John the Evangelist

Church with 13th century origins. Due to bad state of repair was almost completely rebuilt in 1869-1870 by Henry Woodyer of Guildford. Coursed squared limestone, ridge tile roofs. Chancel, vestry and organ chamber, nave, north aisle, west tower.

{1} Church. 1869-70 by Henry Woodyer of Guildford. Coursed squared limestone, ridge tile roofs. Chancel, vestry and organ chamber, nave, north aisle, west tower. 3-bay chancel has east window with 3 stepped lancets recessed in chamfered stone surround with hood mould and ornamental miniature buttresses either side of central light and lancet windows to south; chamfered plinth, moulded string, stone eaves and stone stone-coped gable with kneelers. Vestry has lancet window to east, with roll-moulded straight-headed stone surround and plank door; organ chamber has 2 lancets to north, panel carved with sacred monogram in stone-coped gable with kneelers. North aisle has lancet windows, those to north with continuous equilateral arched hood mould with foliage label stops either end. Nave has 2-light windows to south with plate tracery with oculus in heads, double roll-moulded south door in south porch with chamfered doorway with inner rounded trefoil arch on shafts with moulded capitals, 3 small lancets east and west and stone-coped gable with kneelers. 2-stage west tower has chamfered west door with hood mould, small lancet above, stair turret with stone roof to south-east angle, diagonal buttresses to west angles, 2-light bell openings with plate tracery, pointed trefoil heads to right, supported by shafts with moulded capitals, quatrefoils in heads and hood moulds and broach spire with one tier of lucarnes. Chamfered plinths and stone eaves to nave and aisle. Interior: chancel has encaustic tiled sanctuary, fine timber communion rail with small pointed trefoil arches and arch-braced collar-truss roof. Nave has 4-bay north arcade with octagonal piers with broach stop bases, shouldered chamfered arches and outer chamfered arches on corbels and hood moulds. Arch-braced collar-truss roof. Complete set of pitch pine furnishings. Royal Arms of 1710; oil on canvas (stored in tower). Early C19 charity board. Stained glass windows by Morris & Co. from 1890. The west tower of the old church was blown down during a heavy gale on February 1st, 1869. The church, which was a modest aisleless structure of chiefly C13 date, was found to be in such a state of decay as to necessitate complete rebuilding. A photograph of the old church after the disaster is in the National Monuments Record. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.460; Kelly's Directory for Northamptonshire, 1928).

{4} There is a patterned Minton tile pavement in the sanctuary, rebuilt by the architect Henry Woodyer in 1869-70.

{12} Ground floor plan of church by Henry Woodyer, 1870.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 10/111 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F07 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.221-22 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<4> Pearson L., 2003, Gazeteer of British Tile and Architectural Ceramic Sites: County Draft, Northamptonshire, p.3 (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN103233.

<5> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, Whitfield (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<7> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.756 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<8> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.460 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<10> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN57702.

<11> Historic England, Undated, St John the Evangelist's Church, Whitfield, BF052053 (Archive). SNN115802.

<12> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS07078 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 9:52AM