St John the Baptist's Church, Mayfield

St John the Baptist's Church, Mayfield
St John the Baptist's Church, Mayfield
	View from the south
	53°00′00″N1°46′18″W / 53.00000°N 1.77167°W Coordinates: 53°00′00″N1°46′18″W / 53.00000°N 1.77167°W
OS grid reference	SK 154 447
Location	Mayfield, Staffordshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.mayfieldparishchurch.org/
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	12 January 1966 [1]
Administration
Deanery	Uttoxeter Deanery [2]
Diocese	Diocese of Lichfield

Last updated August 12, 2019

St John the Baptist's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Mayfield, Staffordshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The core is a Norman church; it was extended in the early 14th century, and the tower built in 1515.

Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition which has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation.

Mayfield is a village on the outskirts of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, about 9 miles from Uttoxeter, situated in East Staffordshire.

A listed building, or listed structure, is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland.

History

Early buildings

There was a church in the village in Saxon times; the Domesday book, of 1086, recorded that there was a priest in the village, one of 25 recorded for Staffordshire.^[3]

A simple rectangular stone building replaced the Saxon church about 1125. The south doorway (inside the later porch), with a well-preserved Norman arch, dates from this time. The nave, of three bays, is mainly Norman.^[3]^[4]

The nave is the central part of a church, stretching from the main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy.

Extensions in medieval period

In the early 14th century the church was extended. The south aisle and the chancel date from this time, also the pointed chancel arch. The chancel, in decorated style, is particularly large and has three bays.^[3]^[4]

Chancel space around the altar of a traditional Christian church

In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary, at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. It is generally the area used by the clergy and choir during worship, while the congregation is in the nave. Direct access may be provided by a priest's door, usually on the south side of the church. This is one definition, sometimes called the "strict" one; in practice in churches where the eastern end contains other elements such as an ambulatory and side chapels, these are also often counted as part of the chancel, especially when discussing architecture. In smaller churches, where the altar is backed by the outside east wall and there is no distinct choir, the chancel and sanctuary may be the same area. In churches with a retroquire area behind the altar, this may only be included in the broader definition of chancel.

The tower was completed in 1515, built by Thomas Rollestone, Lord of the Manor. It has three stages and diagonal buttresses. On the west face is an inscription: Ainsy et mieulx peult ester ("Thus it is and better could it be").^[1]^[4]

Later modifications

The south porch was built about 1600, and restored in the 19th century. There is an oak communion rail, of 1660; the oak altar table, brought into the church in 1663 and carving added, is thought to be originally an Elizabethan farmhouse table. The parapet over the chancel dates from the 18th century.^[1]^[4]

A parapet is a barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian parapetto. The German equivalent Brüstung has the same meaning. Where extending above a roof, a parapet may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the edge line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a fire wall or party wall. Parapets were originally used to defend buildings from military attack, but today they are primarily used as guard rails and to prevent the spread of fires. In the Bible the Hebrews are obligated to build a parapet on the roof of their houses to prevent people falling.

In 1854 there were alterations to provide more free seats. The north aisle was rebuilt; box pews were replaced by bench pews, using timber from the box pews. The number was free seats was increased from 31 to 107. The hexagonal carved oak pulpit, of the 17th century, was moved from the north to the south side of the central aisle. The octagonal stone font, dated 1514, was moved from the south side of the tower base to the left of the south entrance.^[1]^[4]^[5]

Bells

The church has a ring of six bells; this includes the single bell contemporary with the completion of the tower in 1515. A second bell was added in 1642, and a third in 1864. In 1902 the bells were re-hung with three new bells.^[3]

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References

1 2 3 4 Church of St John Baptist Historic England, accessed 23 May 2017.
↑ Mayfield St John the Baptist Diocese of Lichfield, accessed 21 October 2017.
1 2 3 4 History of Mayfield Parish Church St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.
1 2 3 4 5 Architecture of Mayfield Parish Church St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.
↑ History of Mayfield Parish Church: Victorian Restoration St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.

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[historic-1] 1 2 3 4 Church of St John Baptist Historic England, accessed 23 May 2017.

[2] Mayfield St John the Baptist Diocese of Lichfield, accessed 21 October 2017.

[history-3] 1 2 3 4 History of Mayfield Parish Church St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.

[architecture-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Architecture of Mayfield Parish Church St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.

[restoration-5] History of Mayfield Parish Church: Victorian Restoration St John the Baptist: Mayfield Parish Church, accessed 23 May 2017.