St John the Baptist's Church, Yarburgh
Encyclopedia
St John the Baptist's Church, Yarburgh, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Yarburgh
, Lincolnshire
, 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 village lies away from main roads, some 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Louth
.
in 1854–55 by the architect James Fowler of Louth, when a vestry
and a south porch were added. It was declared redundant in March 1981.
and chalk
rubble
, with limestone
ashlar
dressings. The roofs are covered with lead and tiles, the tiles being decorated in fishscale bands. Its plan consists of a nave
with a clerestory
, a north aisle
, a south porch, a chancel
, a vestry, and a west tower. The tower is built in ironstone, and is in three stages on a plinth
. It has stepped corner buttress
es, and a battlement
ed parapet
. On the south side is a projecting stairway. The top stage contains two-light louvred
bell openings, and in the middle stage are single-light openings with trefoil
heads on all sides except the east. The church is particularly notable for the carved west doorway. In its moulded
surround are leaves, tendril
s, fruit, a pelican
, and an inscription. In the spandrel
s of the arch are a coat of arms
, Adam and Eve
and the serpent
, and a Paschal Lamb. Above the doorway is a large 15th-century four-light window. There is another 15th-century window in the west window of the north aisle, this with two lights. Along the north wall are a blocked doorway, three 15th-century three-light windows in the aisle, a similar window in the chancel and a niche
for a statue. The east window in the chancel is from the 19th-century with three lights. The vestry, also dating from the 19th century, has a two-light window in 15th-century style. On the south side of the chancel is a blocked 14th-century four-bay
arcade
which shows signs of fire damage. Three 19th-century windows in Perpendicular style have been inserted into the arcade. On both sides of the clerestory are four two-light windows. The porch is gable
d, and it leads to a 14th-century inner doorway.
, and has 19th-century carved human heads. In the wall of the north aisle is a 14th-century pillar piscina
with a crocket
ted ogee
head surmounted by a finial
. The plain octagonal font
also dates from the 14th century, and the tower screen is from the 15th century. The rest of the fittings are from the 19th century. The ring
consists of three bells. The oldest bell dates from about 1370, and the next from about 1500. The third bell was cast in 1831 by James Harrison III.
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 Yarburgh
Yarburgh
Yarburgh is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about north east of the town of Louth.St John the Baptists church dates from at least the 13th century, although it was rebuilt after a fire in 1405 and then restored in 1855. It is now closed and in the...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, 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 village lies away from main roads, some 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
.
History
The church dates from the 14th century. It was largely rebuilt in 1405 after a fire, and was restoredVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1854–55 by the architect James Fowler of Louth, when 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....
and a south porch were added. It was declared redundant in March 1981.
Exterior
St John's is constructed in ironstoneIronstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
and chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
rubble
Rubble
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...
, with 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....
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings. The roofs are covered with lead and tiles, the tiles being decorated in fishscale bands. 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...
, a 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...
, a south porch, a 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...
, a vestry, and a west tower. The tower is built in ironstone, and 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 stepped corner 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 a 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 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...
. On the south side is a projecting stairway. The top stage contains two-light louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell openings, and in the middle stage are single-light openings with trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
heads on all sides except the east. The church is particularly notable for the carved west doorway. In its moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
surround are leaves, tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s, fruit, a pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
, and an inscription. In the spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
s of the arch are a coat of 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...
, Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
and the serpent
Serpent (Bible)
Serpent is the term used to translate a variety of words in the Hebrew bible, the most common being , , the generic word for "snake"....
, and a Paschal Lamb. Above the doorway is a large 15th-century four-light window. There is another 15th-century window in the west window of the north aisle, this with two lights. Along the north wall are a blocked doorway, three 15th-century three-light windows in the aisle, a similar window in the chancel and a niche
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;...
for a statue. The east window in the chancel is from the 19th-century with three lights. The vestry, also dating from the 19th century, has a two-light window in 15th-century style. On the south side of the chancel is a blocked 14th-century four-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:...
arcade
Arcade (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....
which shows signs of fire damage. Three 19th-century windows in Perpendicular style have been inserted into the arcade. On both sides of the clerestory are four two-light windows. The porch is 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...
d, and it leads to a 14th-century inner doorway.
Interior
Inside the church the four-bay north arcade dates from the 15th century. It is carried on octagonal piersPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
, and has 19th-century carved human heads. In the wall of the north aisle is a 14th-century pillar 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 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....
ted ogee
Ogee
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....
head surmounted by a finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. The plain 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:...
also dates from the 14th century, and the tower screen is from the 15th century. The rest of the fittings are from the 19th century. 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 three bells. The oldest bell dates from about 1370, and the next from about 1500. The third bell was cast in 1831 by James Harrison III.