Church of St. John the Baptist, Cirencester
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. John the Baptist, Cirencester is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Cirencester
.
s and merchants' tombs.
The chancel is the oldest part of the church. Construction started around 1115. It was widened in about 1180. The east window dates from around 1300. The original stained glass of the east window has long since disappeared and it is now filled with fifteenth century glass from other parts of the church.
To the north of the chancel is St. Catherine's Chapel which dates from around 1150. It contains a wall painting of St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child, and vaulting given by Abbot John Hakebourne in 1508.
To the north of St. Catherine's Chapel is the Lady Chapel, first built in 1240 and extended in the 15th century.
The Trinity Chapel dates from 1430-1460 and was endowed for a priest of the nearby Abbey to say masses for the souls of Kings and Queens. It contains a squint which enabled the priest to synchronise the celebration of mass with that at the high altar.
The nave was completely rebuilt between 1515 and 1530 and is a remarkable example of late perpendicular gothic architecture.
The tower is fifteenth century and remarkable for the large butresses which shore it up at its junction with the nave.
The great south porch which adjoins the market place was built around 1500 at the expense of Alice Avening.
in 1895 with a case by George Gilbert Scott
. It was renovated by Rushworth and Dreaper
in 1955 and will be rebuilt by Harrison & Harrison
in 2009.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
.
History
The church is medieval. It is renowned for its perpendicular porch, fan vaultFan vault
thumb|right|250px|Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a [[Victorian restoration]] of the original roof of 1608....
s and merchants' tombs.
The chancel is the oldest part of the church. Construction started around 1115. It was widened in about 1180. The east window dates from around 1300. The original stained glass of the east window has long since disappeared and it is now filled with fifteenth century glass from other parts of the church.
To the north of the chancel is St. Catherine's Chapel which dates from around 1150. It contains a wall painting of St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child, and vaulting given by Abbot John Hakebourne in 1508.
To the north of St. Catherine's Chapel is the Lady Chapel, first built in 1240 and extended in the 15th century.
The Trinity Chapel dates from 1430-1460 and was endowed for a priest of the nearby Abbey to say masses for the souls of Kings and Queens. It contains a squint which enabled the priest to synchronise the celebration of mass with that at the high altar.
The nave was completely rebuilt between 1515 and 1530 and is a remarkable example of late perpendicular gothic architecture.
The tower is fifteenth century and remarkable for the large butresses which shore it up at its junction with the nave.
The great south porch which adjoins the market place was built around 1500 at the expense of Alice Avening.
Parish status
The church is in the combined parish which includes:- Holy Trinity Church, Watermoor
- St. Lawrence, Chesterton
Record of incumbents
- Thomas Marshall 1558
- Thomas Perpointe 1562
- William Aldsworth 1574
- Thomas Woodlande 1578
- John Mortimer 1580
- John Stone 1581
- Philip Jones 1586
- Henry Bishop 1587
- Robert Butler 1592
- Heymo Leigh 1594
- Richard Dyer 1610
- John Burgoyne 1616
- Alexander Gregory 1632
- Thomas Carles 1663
- Jeremiah Gregory 1675
- Joseph Harrison 1690
- Samuel Johnson 1753
- Martin Stafford Smith 1778
- William Shippen Willes 1789
- Henry Anthony Pye 1806
- William Frederick Powell 1839
- James Ogilvy Miller 1869
- Henry Rudge Hayward 1881
- John Stewart Sinclair 1898
- William Aubrey Robins 1909
- Lewis Westmacott 1922
- Ronald Huntley Sutch 1941
- Rowland Edward Hill 1962
- John Arthur Lewis 1978
- Hedley Sidney Ringrose 1988
- Michael St. John-Channell 1999
- Leonard Doolan 2008
Organ
The church possesses a pipe organ built by Father WillisHenry Willis & Sons
thumb|250px|St Bees Priory organ, the last major instrument to be personally supervised by "Father" Henry Willis, 1899Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845 in Liverpool. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other...
in 1895 with a case by George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
. It was renovated by Rushworth and Dreaper
Rushworth and Dreaper
Rushworth and Dreaper was a firm of organ builders based in Liverpool, England Upon its bankruptcy, its archives were mostly destroyed, and the Victorian clock in the works tower was removed...
in 1955 and will be rebuilt by Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
in 2009.