Church of St John the Baptist

Details

SO 61 NW RUARDEAN HIGH STREET (north side)

5/172 Church of St. John the Baptist

23 9 55 GV II*

Parish Church; C12, C13, C15, restored 1890. Large, well-squared stone approaching ashlar to tower; porch roughly squared stone; south aisle ashlar on random rubble base; chancel east wall ashlar, well-squared stone south wall high up above random rubble. North wall squared stone brought to courses. Tiled roof. Nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower, south porch, organ chamber. South facade: moulded plinth to tower, diagonally-set corner buttresses to west, south one with arched recess for statue on lowest stage. Semi-octagonal stair turret at south-east corner. Tower in 4 stages, with moulded strings. Third stage has clock in blocked arched opening with hoodmould, fourth 2-light Perpendicular tracery window with stone louvres. Plain parapet with gargoyles on south face: octagonal spire with roll moulding to arrises; access window on south face under hood: crown carved on spire half-way up; weathercock on finial. Double stone pinnacles and flying buttresses to spire from corners of tower. South aisle has no plinth; diagonally-set western buttress with plinth. Porch to left of centre, wide Early English doorway with hoodmould and carved head above, latter off centre. Scalloped bargeboards to gable. Aisle has one lancet window each side of porch: parapet gables. Chancel, 3-light south window towards left: diagonal corner buttress, parapet gable with cross-gablet and floriate cross at apex. Chancel ridge tiles crested, with further cross at junction with nave. Nave and chancel roofs otherwise in one run: no clerestory to nave. On north ragged ends to organ chamber side walls, for unbuilt vestry. Internally, south door to porch has single shaft either side, plain, semi-circular head with well-preserved carving of St. George and Dragon in tympanum (C12). Above is a pointed hoodmould to blind opening with cinquefoil head, top foil ogee. Stone benches in porch. South aisle, 4-bay Early English arcade, circular pillars, moulded caps and bases, carved head on east respond. Open roof with arch-braced collar trusses; half-trusses between without braces. Walls plastered throughout church. High arch to tower with no capitals, tierceron vault with octagonal bell-hole. Nave roof as aisle: low arched recess in north wall towards east end, trefoil tracery. Chancel, panelled boarded barrel vault; Early English piscina with trefoil head: blocked door by south aisle originally served rood loft stairs. Pulpit 1635 oak on late C19 stone base: 2 panels each face, scratch mouldings: lower panels modelled to form St. Andrew's Cross, upper 9 small panels. C19 brass candlestick used as electric light. Font stone octagonal bowl, with splayed stem, base square: dated 1657. Church heavily restored 1890 by Waller & Son of Gloucester: flying buttresses to spire added 1866. (D. Verey, Gloucestershire, the Vale and Forest of Dean, 1970; the Rev. L. J. Bowyer, The Church of St. John the Baptist, Ruardean, 1972).

Listing NGR: SO6211517690

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

354253

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970)
Bowyer, L J, The Church of St John the Baptist Ruardean, (1972)

End of official list entry

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