St. John the Baptist, Axbridge, Somerset
Description
The church of St. John the Baptist, standing on an eminence, is a large and handsome cruciform edifice in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel with north and south chapels, nave, transepts, aisles, south porch and a fine tower with angle buttresses, terminating in crocketed pinnacles and a richly pierced parapet: the tower contains 6 bells and a clock with chimes, provided in 1892 at a cost of £126 10s.; on the west side is a canopied niche, inclosing a crowned figure carrying a sceptre, and possibly representing King Henry VII. who probably rebuilt the tower; and on the east side is a figure of St. John the Baptist holding the "Agnus Dei": the windows are fine examples of Perpendicular work: the nave roof is curiously divided by projecting ribs, with a fleur-de-lis at each intersection, and a row of immense pendants along the centre, on one of which is the date 1636, at which time considerable repairs were effected: in a pew under the pulpit was found a singular painting of Our Saviour on oak panelling, and conjectured to date from the latter part of the 14th century: there are numerous marble monuments to the Prowse and other families: in the north aisle there is a brass, in good preservation, with kneeling effigies of Roger Harper, merchant of Axbridge, ob. 22 August, and Joan, his wife, ob. 22 July, both in 1493: in 1879, the whole of the exterior and interior stone work of the nave and aisles was restored and the church reseated, at a cost of £3,192, of which Charles Edwards esq. J.P. of The Grove, Wrington, gave £1,000: the chancel was afterwards restored at a cost of £856: in 1884 a further sum of £140 was raised and spent on the restoration of the north transept, at which time a new organ of the value of £245 was placed there: and in 1881 the work was completed at a cost of nearly £1,300, when the stained east window was given by Sidney Hill esq. of Langford: in 1888 a beautiful low metal screen was presented by H. F. Tiarks esq. and four carved oak screens from designs of the late Mr. J. D. Sedding, architect, were erected at a cost of £280: the total cost exceeded £5,500: there are 400 sittings.
Church Records
The register dates from the year 1562.