St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes
| St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes | |
|---|---|
 St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes, from the southeast | |
  St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes Location in Cambridgeshire | |
| 52°15′50″N 0°08′29″W / 52.2639°N 0.1414°W | |
| OS grid reference | TL 269 644 |
| Location | Papworth St Agnes, Cambridgeshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Peter's Church, Papworth St Agnes |
| Dedication | John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 31 August 1962 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1848 |
| Completed | 1854 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone and knapped flint fieldstone flushwork in a chequerboard pattern, tiled roofs |
St John the Baptist's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Papworth St Agnes, Cambridgeshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.[2]
Early history
[edit]A church was present on the site at the date of the Domesday Survey,[3] and it was replaced by a further church in 1530.[1] By 1827 the chancel of this church had been demolished; at that time it consisted of a west tower and a nave in Perpendicular style.[4] It was almost completely rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century, the tower in 1848 and the rest of the church between 1852 and 1854.[1] The new church incorporated some items from the previous churches.[4] It was designed by the rector at that time, Rev J. H. Sperling.[5]
Architecture
[edit]The church is constructed in alternating blocks of limestone and knapped flint fieldstone flushwork, forming a chequerboard pattern, and it has a tiled roof.[1] Its plan consists of a four-bay nave with a north porch, a two-bay chancel with a north vestry, and a west tower. The bays are separated by five-stage buttresses.[2] The tower is in three stages, with similar buttresses at the angles; it has an embattled parapet with gargoyles at the corners. All the windows are arched with three lights and tracery. Both the porch and the vestry are gabled.[1] Items reused from former churches include a doorway dating from the 14th century, the tower arch of the 1530 church, and the gargoyles.[4]
Recent history and present day
[edit]During the 20th century the condition of the church deteriorated and by the 1970s it was largely derelict. It was declared redundant in 1976, deconsecrated, and a demolition order was granted.[3] However, in 1979 it was taken into the care of the charity the Friends of Friendless Churches.[4] The charity holds the freehold with effect from 5 December 1979.[6] By the time it was taken over, tiles had been removed from the roofs, stained glass designed by William Wailes had been removed, and the font was in the churchyard.[4] The organ dating from about 1860, designed by George Holdich, had also been removed.[5] During the next few years money was raised for repair and restoration, and the Friends of Papworth St Agnes was founded.[3][4] One surviving panel of stained glass was moved to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral.[7] As part of the restoration, modern lighting was installed, and a kitchen and toilets were added.[3] Activities in the church were resumed in 2006, the font was returned to the interior of the church, and the stained glass window was also returned.[5] The church is now used as a community centre,[7] and services are occasionally held.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Historic England, "Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Papworth St Agnes (1331388)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 December 2013
- ^ a b Papworth St Agnes St John the Baptist, Friends of Friendless Churches, archived from the original on 1 July 2011, retrieved 20 July 2010
- ^ a b c d e Eveleigh, Peter (2000), St John the Baptist, Papworth St Agnes, Papworth Team Ministry, archived from the original on 25 June 2011, retrieved 20 July 2010
- ^ a b c d e f History, Friends of Friendless Churches, retrieved 20 July 2010
- ^ a b c Saunders, Matthew (2010), Saving Churches, London: Frances Lincoln, pp. 85–86, ISBN 978-0-7112-3154-2
- ^ Churches and chapels owned by the Friends of Friendless Churches: Details for Visitors, London: Friends of Friendless Churches, June 2010
- ^ a b Friends of Papworth St Agnes, Friends of Friendless Churches, retrieved 20 July 2010
- Grade II* listed churches in Cambridgeshire
- Churches preserved by the Friends of Friendless Churches
- Churches completed in 1854
- 19th-century Church of England church buildings
- Gothic Revival church buildings in England
- Gothic Revival architecture in Cambridgeshire
- Church of England church buildings in Cambridgeshire