St John's Church, Duxford
Encyclopedia
St John's Church, Duxford is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Duxford
, Cambridgeshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands on the junction of St John's Street and Green Street.
Inside the church is a variety of wall decorations, from medieval
wall paintings, to graffiti
from later periods, including the Second World War.
and chancel
date from the late 12th century. During the following century the tower was raised and the chancel lengthened. A two-bay
chapel was added to the north side of the chancel in about 1330. Later in the century windows were added to the lowest stage of the tower and to the west end of the nave. In the 15th century the north aisle
and the porch were built, and the east window was added in the following century. In the 18th century repairs in brick were carried out. The north chapel was used as a schoolroom from the middle of the 17th century until about 1847. In 1874 the parish
was united with the neighbouring parish of St Peter's, and St John's became derelict. The church was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1979. The tower and the wall paintings were restored in 1985.
, pebbles and clunch
, with clunch and limestone
dressings. Repairs have been carried out in brick. The flat roofs are covered in copper, the nave roof is tiled, and the spire is covered in lead. The plan consists of a nave with a north aisle, a central tower, and a chancel with a north chapel. Along the north aisle wall are buttress
es and three three-light windows. The north chapel has a diagonal buttress to the east, two windows, gargoyle
s, a cornice
decorated with vines and ball flower
s, and crocket
ed pinnacle
s. In the middle stage of the tower are small round-headed windows, and the bell openings in the top stage have two lights. Its parapet
is battlement
ed, and on top of the tower is a small lead-covered spirelet. The spirelet is twisted; this was caused when a flagpole was tied to it in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and it was damaged in a gale. The chancel east window has four lights. In the south wall of the chancel are a two-light window and a lancet window
, and between them is a priest's door. The south wall of the tower is supported by two large buttresses, between which is a two-light window. The south wall of the nave contains a large three-light Perpendicular window. To the west of this is a timber-framed
porch with a gable
and plaster
rendering. This leads to the Norman
doorway, which is decorated with chevrons, and its tympanum
contains a carved cross.
-headed niches
and a cinquefoil-headed piscina
. There is a niche with a round head on the east wall of the nave. The font
dates from the 13th century, and has an octagonal bowl on a clunch pedestal
. The communion rail, dating from the late 17th century, has barley-sugar baluster
s. The benches date from the late 15th century, and the floor tiles from the 18th century. Inside the church is a variety of wall decorations, from medieval
wall paintings, to graffiti
from later periods, including the Second World War. From the medieval period are the images of two bishops in the north aisle, and an Agnus Dei under the east tower arch. On the west wall of the chancel are depictions of saints, including a female saint being tortured, and a Crucifixion
scene. In the north chapel are graffiti from the time it was used as a school, some of which are in Latin
. The most recent item is a depiction of Christ drawn by a look-out soldier during World War II. Also in the church are marks on stones caused by sharpening arrows during the Middle Ages.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Duxford
Duxford
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge.-History:The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands on the junction of St John's Street and Green Street.
Inside the church is a variety of wall decorations, from medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
wall paintings, to graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
from later periods, including the Second World War.
History
The tower, naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
date from the late 12th century. During the following century the tower was raised and the chancel lengthened. A two-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
chapel was added to the north side of the chancel in about 1330. Later in the century windows were added to the lowest stage of the tower and to the west end of the nave. In the 15th century the north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and the porch were built, and the east window was added in the following century. In the 18th century repairs in brick were carried out. The north chapel was used as a schoolroom from the middle of the 17th century until about 1847. In 1874 the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was united with the neighbouring parish of St Peter's, and St John's became derelict. The church was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1979. The tower and the wall paintings were restored in 1985.
Exterior
The church is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, pebbles and clunch
Clunch
Clunch is a term for traditional building material used mainly in eastern England and Normandy. It is a term which encompasses a wide variety of materials, often locally variable....
, with clunch and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
dressings. Repairs have been carried out in brick. The flat roofs are covered in copper, the nave roof is tiled, and the spire is covered in lead. The plan consists of a nave with a north aisle, a central tower, and a chancel with a north chapel. Along the north aisle wall are buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and three three-light windows. The north chapel has a diagonal buttress to the east, two windows, gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s, a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
decorated with vines and ball flower
Ball flower
The ball-flower is an architectural ornament in the form of a ball inserted in the cup of a flower, which came into use in the latter part of the 13th, and was in great vogue in the early part of the 14th century. It is generally placed in rows at equal distances in the hollow of a moulding,...
s, and crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ed pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s. In the middle stage of the tower are small round-headed windows, and the bell openings in the top stage have two lights. Its parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
is battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed, and on top of the tower is a small lead-covered spirelet. The spirelet is twisted; this was caused when a flagpole was tied to it in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and it was damaged in a gale. The chancel east window has four lights. In the south wall of the chancel are a two-light window and a lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, and between them is a priest's door. The south wall of the tower is supported by two large buttresses, between which is a two-light window. The south wall of the nave contains a large three-light Perpendicular window. To the west of this is a timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
porch with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
and plaster
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
rendering. This leads to the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorway, which is decorated with chevrons, and its tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
contains a carved cross.
Interior
The Norman round-headed tower arches date from the 12th century. The west arch has three attached columns, and the east arch has a single column. At the base of the east arch is a pair of carved dogs. In the chapel are two ogeeOgee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
-headed niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
and a cinquefoil-headed piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. There is a niche with a round head on the east wall of the nave. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 13th century, and has an octagonal bowl on a clunch pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
. The communion rail, dating from the late 17th century, has barley-sugar baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s. The benches date from the late 15th century, and the floor tiles from the 18th century. Inside the church is a variety of wall decorations, from medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
wall paintings, to graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
from later periods, including the Second World War. From the medieval period are the images of two bishops in the north aisle, and an Agnus Dei under the east tower arch. On the west wall of the chancel are depictions of saints, including a female saint being tortured, and a Crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
scene. In the north chapel are graffiti from the time it was used as a school, some of which are in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. The most recent item is a depiction of Christ drawn by a look-out soldier during World War II. Also in the church are marks on stones caused by sharpening arrows during the Middle Ages.