St John the Baptist's Church, Parson Drove
Encyclopedia
St John the Baptist's Church, Parson Drove, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Parson Drove
, Cambridgeshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands at the east end of the village, on the north side of the B1169 road, some 6 miles (10 km) west of Wisbech
.
of Leverington
parish
. Its earliest substantial part, the north aisle
, dates from the 14th century, although there is a north doorway surviving from the previous century. Most of the fabric of the present church is from the late 15th or early 16th century. In 1613 the chancel
was destroyed by floods. The south aisle was largely rebuilt about 1800. The south wall of the south aisle was rebuilt in the early part of the 19th century. St John's became a separate parish in 1870. Because of increasing population growth, a second church, Emmanuel Church, was built in the village in 1872. In 1895 the nave roof was reconstructed. By the later part of the 20th century there was no need for two churches in the village, and in 1974 St John's was declared redundant.
stone and brick. The tower is partly faced with Barnack
limestone
. The roof of the nave is slate
d, and the aisles and south porch are roofed in lead. Its plan consists of a nave
with a clerestory
, north and south aisles with a vestry
at the east end of the north aisle, north and south porches, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages on a plinth
. It has angle buttress
es, an embattled
parapet
, and a stair turret
on the northeast. In the lowest stage is a west doorway and, at a higher level, three-light windows on the north, south and west sides. There is a lancet window
on each side of the middle stage. The bell openings have two lights. Beneath the parapet, the cornice
has two gargoyle
s on each side. On the south side of the plinth is a re-used 12th-century stone carved with the figure of a man. Along the clerestory on each side are six three-light square-headed windows. The south aisle has a three-light east window, six two-light windows along the south wall, and a two-light west window. The south porch has two-light windows in its east and west walls. The north aisle includes a three-light east window, five two-light windows along the north wall, and a two-light west window. The east window in the chancel has three lights.
have seven bays
. The lower stage of the tower internally has vaulting
carved with devices including Tudor rose
s and grotesque
s. In the body of the church, the roofs have corbel
s carved with grotesque heads. In the north aisle is a piscina
with a sharply pointed head. The oak pulpit
is dated 1677, and stands on a 20th-century deal base. The octagonal font
is from the 15th century, and is Perpendicular in style. Also in the church is an iron-bound chest dating from the 16th or 17th century. There are fragments of 15th-century stained glass in three of the windows of the north aisle. Each consists of a shield, one bearing the arms
of the Diocese of Ely
, one representing the Trinity
, and the third containing three chalice
s and wafers
. The ring
consists of five bells cast in or about 1787 by Thomas Osborn.
is a pillar piscina that was formerly in the church. It was donated to the museum in 1872.
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 Parson Drove
Parson Drove
Parson Drove is a village in the Fens, in Cambridgeshire, England. Located approximately west of Wisbech, the nearest town, the village is named after the central road around which the village developed, formerly a green drove wider than it is now....
, 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 II* 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 at the east end of the village, on the north side of the B1169 road, some 6 miles (10 km) west of Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
.
History
The church was originally a chapelryChapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
of Leverington
Leverington
Leverington is a village and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 2,914 people....
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...
. Its earliest substantial part, 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...
, dates from the 14th century, although there is a north doorway surviving from the previous century. Most of the fabric of the present church is from the late 15th or early 16th century. In 1613 the 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...
was destroyed by floods. The south aisle was largely rebuilt about 1800. The south wall of the south aisle was rebuilt in the early part of the 19th century. St John's became a separate parish in 1870. Because of increasing population growth, a second church, Emmanuel Church, was built in the village in 1872. In 1895 the nave roof was reconstructed. By the later part of the 20th century there was no need for two churches in the village, and in 1974 St John's was declared redundant.
Exterior
The church is constructed mainly in rubbleRubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
stone and brick. The tower is partly faced with Barnack
Barnack
Barnack is a village and civil parish in the City of Peterborough unitary authority of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located in the north-west of the district, only four miles south-east from Stamford in Lincolnshire. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 851 people. Barnack's...
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....
. The roof of the nave is slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
d, and the aisles and south porch are roofed in lead. Its plan consists of a nave
Nave
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...
with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south aisles with a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
at the east end of the north aisle, north and south porches, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages on a plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
. It has angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es, an embattled
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...
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...
, and a stair turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
on the northeast. In the lowest stage is a west doorway and, at a higher level, three-light windows on the north, south and west sides. There is 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...
on each side of the middle stage. The bell openings have two lights. Beneath the parapet, the 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...
has two 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 on each side. On the south side of the plinth is a re-used 12th-century stone carved with the figure of a man. Along the clerestory on each side are six three-light square-headed windows. The south aisle has a three-light east window, six two-light windows along the south wall, and a two-light west window. The south porch has two-light windows in its east and west walls. The north aisle includes a three-light east window, five two-light windows along the north wall, and a two-light west window. The east window in the chancel has three lights.
Interior
Inside the church, both arcadesArcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
have seven bays
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:...
. The lower stage of the tower internally has vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
carved with devices including Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
s and grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
s. In the body of the church, the roofs have corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s carved with grotesque heads. In the north aisle is a 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...
with a sharply pointed head. The oak pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is dated 1677, and stands on a 20th-century deal base. The octagonal 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:...
is from the 15th century, and is Perpendicular in style. Also in the church is an iron-bound chest dating from the 16th or 17th century. There are fragments of 15th-century stained glass in three of the windows of the north aisle. Each consists of a shield, one bearing the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Diocese of Ely
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
, one representing the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, and the third containing three chalice
Chalice
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. This can also refer to;* Holy Chalice, the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine* Chalice , a type of smoking pipe...
s and wafers
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of five bells cast in or about 1787 by Thomas Osborn.
Associated features
In the Wisbech and Fenland MuseumWisbech & Fenland Museum
The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The Museum Society was founded in 1835 and the present building was opened in 1847....
is a pillar piscina that was formerly in the church. It was donated to the museum in 1872.