Church of St John the Baptist
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, CHURCH LANE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1255610
- Date first listed:
- 26-Sept-1963
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, CHURCH LANE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-09-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/05020/22
- Rights:
- © Mr Keith Brightwell. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1255610
- Date first listed:
- 26-Sept-1963
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St John the Baptist
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, CHURCH LANE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, CHURCH LANE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Leeds (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SE 27462 40235
Details
LEEDS
SE24SE CHURCH LANE, Adel 714-1/2/466 (East side (off)) 26/09/63 Church of St John the Baptist
GV I
Anglican church. 1150-1170, C14 and C16 alterations. West gable and bellcote 1838-39 by RD Chantrell, roof restored by RD Chantrell in 1843, restoration 1879. Coursed squared gritstone, stone slate roofs. PLAN: small Norman 2-cell church composed of nave and lower-roofed chancel, bellcote over W end renewed 1839. EXTERIOR: a small unmoulded priest's doorway in the chancel S wall. In the chancel S wall a very fine gabled portal of 1150-55: the doorway is round-arched and has an unbroken roll-moulding and 4 orders, beaked heads on the innermost, rich chevron ornament to the 2nd and 4th and 2 roll-mouldings to the 3rd. The beak-heads and chevrons of the 2 inner orders are continued down the jambs below the carved capitals; the 2 outer orders have round shafts in the jambs, with carved capitals and bases. In the gable a weathered relief sculpture, Christ in Majesty with symbols including the Lamb with flag, the cross, sun and moon as described in Revelations, Chapter 4. The board door with iron studs has a C13 bronze closing ring of fine workmanship depicting a monster swallowing a man. Fenestration: small narrow Norman round-headed windows, those on E and W ends reconstructed; a flat-headed C14 Decorated window in chancel, S side; 2 flat-arched Perpendicular windows to nave, S side. Corbel-frieze with faces and beasts, similar frieze with 2 diminishing tiers along W gable, one head at apex. N side: corner and centre pilasters, 4 Norman windows, roll moulding below, corner pilaster to chancel, carved masks and figures to corbel table. Gable copings, cross finials. Vestry attached by short passage to NW side with hollow chamfered arched doorway and trefoil window on E side; vestry has 3-light E window with reset stained glass, gable above has moulded blocking course; on W side a tall external stack with banded top. INTERIOR: 2 steps down into the church; fine chancel arch of 1160-70, 2 orders with chevron/zigzag, beak-head, chain of rectangles; carved capitals with Baptism of Christ, Crucifixion, centaur with bow, horseman with lance. At the W end the font, octagonal and possibly original (found in the graveyard in 1858), the carved oak canopy by Eric Gill, 1921, depicting the Crucifixion, 6 of the Sacraments, and a Christian arriving in heaven. The pulpit of carved oak has
panels carved in linenfold style, a plaque states that it was presented by EW Beckett of Kirkstall Grange in memory of his wife who died in 1891. Stained glass by Henry Gyles of York to his friend Thomas Kirk, in SW chancel c1706 and vestry (former E window) 1681. (Anon.: Adel Parish Church, Guide Book, c1980; The Buildings of England: Pevsner, N (revised by Radcliffe, E): Yorkshire The West Riding: London: 1967-: 338).
Listing NGR: SE2746240237
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 465832
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Adel Parish Church Guidebook, (c1980)
Pevsner, N, Radcliffe, E, The Buildings of England: Yorkshire: The West Riding, (1967), 338
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 12-Jun-2026 at 08:11:42.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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