St John the Baptist, Berkswell

 

Recently I paid a visit to one of my favourite churches - St John the Baptist, Berkswell.  Regular readers will have seen posts on this church before but its years since I last went inside as I usually just wander round the churchyard and village.

St John the Baptist, Berkswell, is described by Pevsner as "easily the most interesting Norman Parish Church in the County".

The chancel, crypts and parts of the Nave are all Norman.  The church is made of red sandstone with a corbel table.

The Gothic War Memorial is by Sir Charles Nicholson 1921.

The preaching cross in the churchyard - the cross was changed in 1850 but it is on a medieval base.

This is the grave of Maud Watson the first Ladies' Singles Champion at Wimbledon.She lived with her parents in Well House, the Rectory (see photo at end of post). Her sister played tennis at Wimbledon level too. There is quite a bit of information on them in a museum at Wimbledon.

The two storey timber framed porch with an external stair dates back to c1500.

The door into the church has handmade nails.

The church was restored by Jethro Cossins c1881, the chancel 1909 by W D Carve and the crypt by Charles M Armstrong in 1928 with minor work by A H Gardner 1949-61.  Some of the woodwork is by Robert "Mouseman" Thompson of Kilburn, for example, the pulpit 1926, chapel screen, altar rails 1928 and wooden font 1946.  There are several Thompson mice carvings in the church - I have never found them all.

The nave looking towards the chancel.

Wooden font

Royal Arms 1791

Rare sanctus bell dates from the C16th and could be earlier.  It was usually within a wooden frame attached to the inside of the rood screen. In Medieval times it was rung at the holiest moment in the Eucharist just before the bread and wine were consecrated.  After the Reformation the use of such bells was banned and therefore there are few left in England.  This bell was found in the tower during recent restoration work.

The Berkswell Cello

This cello was played during services at Berkswell church and at social events in the C18th and C19th.  It was used as part of the church choir along with other instruments.  The cello has remained in the ownership of the church and was conserved in 2017.

The crypts below the church are amazing. I didn't go down there on the last visit as there was only me in the church I was a bit concerned about getting accidentally locked in! so the photos are from an earlier visit.

The crypt is in two parts; one is rectangular and is located under the chancel and the other is octagonal and perhaps of a later date.

Two of the Robert Thompson mouse carvings.

The kneelers were rather beautiful.

Lollipop art by children of the local primary school.

Photos of a few of the memorial tablets.

This memorial is by Sir Richard Westmacott 1818.

Chapel screen and pulpit by Robert Thompson.

Stained glass - some by Powell & Sons.

Altar frontal

Next to the church is Well House where Maud Watson lived.

There is some evidence that there was a pre-Conquest shrine at Berkswell and the well by the church may have been used in connection with religion as an immersion site for early baptisms.

The well is in a stone walled basin and is 4.9 metres square.  It was restored in 1851.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and the photos of crypt taken with my Olympus dslr. (I don't particular rate my photos but if anyone ever wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference : Church Guide Book

Buildings of England Warwickshire by Chris Pickford and Nikolaus Pevsner.