St John The Baptist

early C15 west tower

chancel restored in 1862 and rest of church in 1868 at a cost of £1000.

Embattled parapet has carved heads to cornice and gargoyles to corners (much weathered).

Pyramidal slate cap with C18 brass weathercock to contemporary wooden finial.

Basically C12 with moulded string course.

Two heavily restored C16 or C17 two-light square-headed windows with cusped tracery to right.

Gabled stone porch of 1892 with machine tile roof has pointed outer arch with hoodmould and twin trefoil-headed windows to east and west sides.

Oval-shaped window with pierced cusped quatrefoil below apex inserted 1676 and restored in C19.

extended by one bay to east c.1300 South side has round-headed priest's doorway similar to that at Church of St. Mary, Knockin (q.v.).

Hoodmould continues over 2 narrow recessed and chamfered round-headed windows to east and formerly continued to C12 east wall but is now carried down to east of second window.

C19 two-light Decorated-style windows to west of doorway and to early C14 extension.

East wall has stepped angle buttresses and pointed C14 window of 3 cusped lights with spheric triangles to head

North side has 2 small C12 windows like those on south linked by continuous hoodmould, in this case continuing to straight joint.

Low infilled C14 segmental-pointed arch below and between windows is said to be associated with former anchorite's cell 3-light tile-hung gabled dormer to centre in roof slope inserted 1903.

Mid-C19 north aisle on site of C14 aisle is buttressed in 4 bays and has 2-and 3-light Decorated-style windows with hoodmoulds to centre bays and to east and west walls.

C12 south doorway similar to that of chancel but larger and inner jambs have chamfered edges and broach stops to top more clearly defined.

West respond and west capital are early C13, east respond

east capital are early to mid-C14.

The explanation seems to be that a 2-bay chapel was built at the east end of the nave in early C13: this was taken down in C14 when a full aisle was built, the chapel's capital, arches and 2 responds being reused in the aisle's construction.

On the south-west face of the western pillar is a medieval carving of a horned head, said to represent the Devil.

Broad cinquefoiled late C15 image niche inserted in eastern respond.

Probably early C17 arch-braced collar beam roof in 5 bays to nave has 2 tiers of purlins and cusped windbraces

Carved wooden corbels probably date from 1845 when roof was repaired but north side has 3 stone corbels from earlier medieval roof, one with the carving of a human head and another with a carved ram's head.

Chancel has C19 arch-braced collar beam roof in 3 bays and north aisle has C19 roof similar to that of nave, also retaining 3 stone corbels of a medieval roof (one with a carving of a grotesque human head).

Chancel has 2 pointed piscinae in south wall and 2 aumbries to north, all in C12 part.

C12 string course

straight joint marking break with c.1300 extension clearly visible on both sides.

Encaustic tiles except for black and white marble floor around altar which has stone reredos of c.1892 by Bodley and Garner

stone pulpit, font, benches all late C19 or later, although some benches incorporate Jacobean panelling.

C18 chair in sanctuary and Jacobean chair by pulpit.

Late C13 stone coffin lid with carving of a foliated cross of quatrefoil design at east end of aisle, found during rebuilding of porch in 1892.

Mid-to late C19 and early C20 stained glass throughout.

Monuments.

stone wall memorial with Tuscan columns flanking brass inscription panel

further brass inscription panel beneath.

Painted encaustic tile below commemorates George Augustus Selwyn , Bishop of Lich- field and first Bishop of New Zealand.

marble wall memorial.

C17 brass memorial in south-east corner of chancel illegible at time of resurvey has brass plate beneath to Hannah Wilde Wall memorial to William Kinaston , north side of north aisle.

This has C18 hatchments of local families, 3 on north and one on south.

Originally a dependent chapelry of Baschurch and founded c.1140, Ruyton became a separate parish in 1230.

The tithes were appropriated by Haughmond Abbey in 1331.

appendix, p.1005.