St John The Evangelist

C13 porch

C15 tower.

South doorway has carved lintel with canted top as tympanum over doorway with shouldered arch

SO9612 : Elkstone church carving

© andy dolman

2 orders of supporting columns, the outer with scalloped capitals and the inner with carved grotesque heads.

banded plank south door with C15 closing ring.

Corbel tables with set of carved animal heads to north and south nave walls.

In south wall 2-light C15 ogee-headed window to right of porch with some masonry showing Norman chevron decoration

Elkstone church is dedicated to St John the Evangelist. Much of the nave and chancel is Norman and dates from the 12th century, Pevsner states 'In a district rich in Norman churches, this is the most interesting and best preserved'. The original tower collapsed and was replaced in the 15th century.

© Philip Halling

C15 2-light to left

Large C15 3-stage tower with diagonal offset buttresses

continuous moulded plinth broken by west door with 4-centred arched head, moulded with hood and square carved labels

image niche mounted on sill of 4-light west window which lids rectilinear tracery and carved angel stops to hood bearing heraldic shields

offset to each buttress in 2nd stage has carved figure, 2 bearing musical instruments: a citole and a shawm

4-light Tudor-arched belfry openings with stone louvres and lozenge laurels to hood

crenellated parapet with diagonal animal gargoyles linked by moulding below.

inner openings to north and south doors are round-headed, that to north having area of uncovered medieval painting adjacent

C15 4-bay collar truss nave roof with cusped collars and arched bracing

principal rafters supported on horizontal projecting wall beams bearing carved shields on ends

medieval coffin lid stands against west wall.

roll moulded cross-vault to chancel with central carved boss of 4 grotesque masks and belt

C17 woodwork incorporated into communion rail.

Hexagonal carved pulpit dated 1609, crudely cut off and mounted on octagonal moulded stone base with pierced trefoil ornament.

Reading desk mounted on front of box pews made from pulpit tester, dated 1604.

Large memorial on south nave wall to Thomas Horton of Combend Manor, died 1687: black marble inscription panel has stone bolection moulded surround

Stained glass is mainly C20.

Church formerly had central tower, but this was removed in C13 when second cross-vaulted bay with columbarium over was built in its place.