St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes
Encyclopedia
St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Papworth St Agnes
, Cambridgeshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
.
, and it was replaced by a further church in 1530. 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. 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. The new church incorporated some items from the previous churches. It was designed by the rector at that time, Rev J. H. Sperling.
and knapped flint
fieldstone
flushwork
, forming a chequerboard pattern, and it has a tiled roof. 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 buttress
es. 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 gable
d. Items reused from former churches include a doorway dating from the 14th century, the tower arch of the 1530 church, and the gargoyles.
, and a demolition order was granted. However in 1979 it was taken into the care of the charity
the Friends of Friendless Churches. The charity holds the freehold with effect from 5 December 1979. 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. The organ dating from about 1860, designed by George Holdich, had also been removed. During the next few years money was raised for repair and restoration, and the Friends of Papworth St Agnes was founded. One surviving panel of stained glass was moved to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral
. As part of the restoration, modern lighting was installed, and a kitchen and toilets were added. 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. The church is now used as a community centre, and services are occasionally held.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Papworth St Agnes
Papworth St Agnes
Papworth St Agnes is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England.- History :The original village can be traced in the settlement remains between existing cottages and the Manor house....
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
.
Early history
A church was present on the site at the date of the Domesday SurveyDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, and it was replaced by a further church in 1530. By 1827 the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of this church had been demolished; at that time it consisted of a west tower and a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
in Perpendicular style. 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. The new church incorporated some items from the previous churches. It was designed by the rector at that time, Rev J. H. Sperling.
Architecture
The church is constructed in alternating blocks of limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and knapped flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
flushwork
Flushwork
-Description:In architecture, flushwork is the decorative combination on the same flat plane of flint and ashlar stone. It is characteristic of the external walls of medieval buildings, most of the survivors being churches, in parts of Southern England, but especially East Anglia...
, forming a chequerboard pattern, and it has a tiled roof. Its plan consists of a four-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave with a north porch, a two-bay chancel with a north vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, and a west tower. The bays are separated by five-stage buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. The tower is in three stages, with similar buttresses at the angles; it has an embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with gargoyles at the corners. All the windows are arched with three lights and tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. Both the porch and the vestry are gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d. Items reused from former churches include a doorway dating from the 14th century, the tower arch of the 1530 church, and the gargoyles.
Recent history and present day
During the 20th century the condition of the church deteriorated and by the 1970s it was largely derelict. It was declared redundant in 1976, deconsecratedDeconsecration
Deconsecration is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The same act when performed by a member of a differing religion may be considered a curse by some religions and not a complete removal of the...
, and a demolition order was granted. However in 1979 it was taken into the care of the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
the Friends of Friendless Churches. The charity holds the freehold with effect from 5 December 1979. By the time it was taken over, tiles had been removed from the roofs, stained glass designed by William Wailes
William Wailes
William Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
had been removed, and the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
was in the churchyard. The organ dating from about 1860, designed by George Holdich, had also been removed. During the next few years money was raised for repair and restoration, and the Friends of Papworth St Agnes was founded. One surviving panel of stained glass was moved to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
. As part of the restoration, modern lighting was installed, and a kitchen and toilets were added. 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. The church is now used as a community centre, and services are occasionally held.