Location of Church of St John the Baptist in Somerset
The church was built between 1380 and 1405, but was renovated in the 1850s. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1] The tower, which was built around 1480,[2] is 92 feet (28 m) high, in four stages with set-back offset corner buttresses. It is thought that the work was supervised by William Wynford, master mason of Wells Cathedral.[1] To meet the growing size of Yeovil and the increased population, work on a second church, Holy Trinity, began on 24 June 1843,[3] and this relieved the pressures on St John's. In 1863, shortage of space in the graveyard was alleviated by the opening of the Preston Road cemetery.
The church is capped by openworkbalustrading matching the parapets which are from the 17th century. Major reconstruction work was undertaken from 1851 to 1860. The tower has two-light late 14th century windows on all sides at bell-ringing and bell-chamber levels, the latter having fine pierced stonework grilles. There is a stair turret to the north-west corner, with a weather vane termination.[1] Among the fourteen bells are two dating from 1728 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family in Chew Stoke.[4] Another from the same date, the "Great Bell", was recast in 2013,[4] from 4,502 pounds (2,042 kg; 321.6 st) to 4,992 lb (2,264 kg; 356.6 st).[5]
Because of the state of some of the external masonry the church has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register.[6]
In the Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil, one stained glass window depicts Judas with a black halo.
Unusually, the stained glass windows include a depiction of a lone Judas Iscariot with a dark halo.[7] Inside the church is a brass reading desk originally made in East Anglia.[8]
The parish is part of a benefice with St Andrew, Yeovil, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[9] A Member of the South West Gospel Partnership, it has an evangelical character.[10]
St John’s Church, with Chantry attached, showing schoolmaster and boys, c. 1750
In 1573, the Chantry of St Mary the Virgin in the churchyard of the parish church was fitted out as a schoolroom by the parish. This developed into a charity school. In 1855, the schoolroom was demolished and replaced by a new building next to the churchyard, also called the Chantry,[11] which had feoffees who appointed a schoolmaster.[12][13] When the old schoolroom was demolished, it was estimated to date from the reign of Richard III, and some of its features, including two chimneypieces, were salvaged and built into the new Chantry, while the roof structure was copied.[11] By stages, the charity school morphed into Yeovil Grammar School, which closed in 1907 with the retirement of its schoolmaster.[14]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Church of St John The Baptist, Yeovil.
^ abcd"Church of St John The Baptist". Listed Buildings Online. English Heritage. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN0-86127-502-0.
^. Yeovil History. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ ab"Yeovil, S John Bapt". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
^Moore, James; Rice, Roy; Hucker, Ernest (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN0-9526702-0-8.
^. Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
^"The Church of St John Baptist". Yeovil History. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^Dunning, Robert (1996). Fifty Somerset Churches. Somerset Books. pp. 54–58. ISBN978-0861833092.
^"St John the Baptist, Yeovil". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ South West Gospel Partnership: churches, swgp.org.uk
^ abDaniel Vickery, A Sketch of the Town of Yeovil (1856), pp. 35–40
^"Yeovil — Free School", in Schools Inquiry Commission, vol. XIV (1868), pp. 243–247
^Ordnance Survey, "Somerset LXXXIII.13" (surveyed 1886, published 1889), see "Grammar School, School (Girls & Infts)" immediately to the west of "St. John the Baptist’s Ch."
^L. C. Hayward, THE YEOVIL CHARITY SCHOOL – (PART 3 OF 3) in Chronicle: Yeovil Archaeological and Local History Society, April 1987, pp. 134-136
External linksedit
St John's, Yeovil
December 15, 2023
church, john, baptist, yeovil, church, john, baptist, yeovil, somerset, church, england, parish, church, church, john, baptistlocationba20, yeovil, somerset, englandcoordinates50, 94167, 63139, 94167, 63139builtlate, 14th, centurylisted, building, grade, idesi. The Church of St John the Baptist in Yeovil Somerset is a Church of England parish church Church of St John the BaptistLocationBA20 1HE Yeovil Somerset EnglandCoordinates50 56 30 N 2 37 53 W 50 94167 N 2 63139 W 50 94167 2 63139BuiltLate 14th centuryListed Building Grade IDesignated19 March 1951 1 Reference no 261341Location of Church of St John the Baptist in SomersetThe church was built between 1380 and 1405 but was renovated in the 1850s It has been designated as a Grade I listed building 1 The tower which was built around 1480 2 is 92 feet 28 m high in four stages with set back offset corner buttresses It is thought that the work was supervised by William Wynford master mason of Wells Cathedral 1 To meet the growing size of Yeovil and the increased population work on a second church Holy Trinity began on 24 June 1843 3 and this relieved the pressures on St John s In 1863 shortage of space in the graveyard was alleviated by the opening of the Preston Road cemetery The church is capped by openwork balustrading matching the parapets which are from the 17th century Major reconstruction work was undertaken from 1851 to 1860 The tower has two light late 14th century windows on all sides at bell ringing and bell chamber levels the latter having fine pierced stonework grilles There is a stair turret to the north west corner with a weather vane termination 1 Among the fourteen bells are two dating from 1728 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family in Chew Stoke 4 Another from the same date the Great Bell was recast in 2013 4 from 4 502 pounds 2 042 kg 321 6 st to 4 992 lb 2 264 kg 356 6 st 5 Because of the state of some of the external masonry the church has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register 6 In the Church of St John the Baptist Yeovil one stained glass window depicts Judas with a black halo Unusually the stained glass windows include a depiction of a lone Judas Iscariot with a dark halo 7 Inside the church is a brass reading desk originally made in East Anglia 8 The parish is part of a benefice with St Andrew Yeovil in the Diocese of Bath and Wells 9 A Member of the South West Gospel Partnership it has an evangelical character 10 Contents 1 The Chantry 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksThe Chantry edit nbsp St John s Church with Chantry attached showing schoolmaster and boys c 1750In 1573 the Chantry of St Mary the Virgin in the churchyard of the parish church was fitted out as a schoolroom by the parish This developed into a charity school In 1855 the schoolroom was demolished and replaced by a new building next to the churchyard also called the Chantry 11 which had feoffees who appointed a schoolmaster 12 13 When the old schoolroom was demolished it was estimated to date from the reign of Richard III and some of its features including two chimneypieces were salvaged and built into the new Chantry while the roof structure was copied 11 By stages the charity school morphed into Yeovil Grammar School which closed in 1907 with the retirement of its schoolmaster 14 See also editList of Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset List of towers in Somerset List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and WellsReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Church of St John The Baptist Yeovil a b c d Church of St John The Baptist Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Retrieved 5 December 2010 Poyntz Wright Peter 1981 The Parish Church Towers of Somerset Their construction craftsmanship and chronology 1350 1550 Avebury Publishing Company ISBN 0 86127 502 0 St John the Baptist Church Yeovil History Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 10 February 2016 a b Yeovil S John Bapt Dove s Guide for Church Bell Ringers Retrieved 25 December 2017 Moore James Rice Roy Hucker Ernest 1995 Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers The authors ISBN 0 9526702 0 8 Church of St John the Baptist Church Path Yeovil South Somerset Heritage at Risk English Heritage Archived from the original on 22 October 2013 Retrieved 19 October 2013 The Church of St John Baptist Yeovil History Retrieved 8 October 2015 Dunning Robert 1996 Fifty Somerset Churches Somerset Books pp 54 58 ISBN 978 0861833092 St John the Baptist Yeovil A Church Near You Church of England Retrieved 10 February 2016 South West Gospel Partnership churches swgp org uk a b Daniel Vickery A Sketch of the Town of Yeovil 1856 pp 35 40 Yeovil Free School in Schools Inquiry Commission vol XIV 1868 pp 243 247 Ordnance Survey Somerset LXXXIII 13 surveyed 1886 published 1889 see Grammar School School Girls amp Infts immediately to the west of St John the Baptist s Ch L C Hayward THE YEOVIL CHARITY SCHOOL PART 3 OF 3 in Chronicle Yeovil Archaeological and Local History Society April 1987 pp 134 136External links editSt John s Yeovil Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Church of St John the Baptist Yeovil amp oldid 1168682273, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
