St John The Baptist
Greater London
Greater London
Large C15 church, built at the expense of the archbishops of Canterbury (whose Old Palace adjoins) severely damaged by fire in 1867 but retaining South porch with parvise, West Tower and nave walls, the remainder rebuilt on the previous foundations by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1870 in Perpendicular style but extended 18 feet eastwards and with new vestry
Architectural Features
Brass floor plaque
North side of clerestory retains c1870 green and white glass
Centre of floor retains red and black tiles and metal grilles
C19 stone and wooden octagonal pulpit by Thompson of Peterborough
North aisle has late C15 tomb recess, double piscina and aumbry with piscina basin inserted
South aisle has C19 Perpendicular style alabaster font with very tall Flamboyant wooden Gothic cover
Tomb of Archbishop Sheldon (builder of the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford) c1677 by Jasper Latham, complete except for arch, depicting a semi-reclining figure with emblems of mortality below and large cartouche above
Arched background with allegorical figures in the spandrels, putti flanking central inscription plate, Composite columns topped by obelisks and three enriched shields
Chancel arch contains brasses to Gabriel Silvester d.1512 and to William Heron d.1562 and wife
Elaborate screen of 1895 with iron gates and floor of grey marble and Minton tiles
Very elaborate choir stalls with carved bench ends
Sanctuary has green Minton tiles, carved wooden screen, alabaster reredos with much gilding, east window by Clayton and Bell, triple sedilia with ogee arches and stoup, painting of angels over arched door to vestry and wall of c1885 to north east depicting the "Feeding of the Five Thousand". Vestry has chamfered ceiling, stone four-centred arched fireplace and two wall safes. ["Buildings of England