A Medieval Masterpiece Feature of This Lovely Church
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Visiting St John’s WELCOME to Visitors are welcome seven days a week whether to worship with us on a Sunday or at other services, or to simply to St John the Baptist wander in for peace and solitude, to remember a loved one, or to wonder at the magnifi cent angel roof. Needham Market Home to one of our great architectural treasures As you leave . Take a few minutes to walk round the outside of the church. Leaving the main entrance, turn left to see the original priest’s door, showing the arms of Bishop William Grey of Ely who paid for the rebuilding of the church around 1463. As there is no churchyard, it is believed that the unusual pierced buttress to the north east enabled ecclesiastical processions to take place without leaving consecrated ground. Moving to the north side of the church, look at the stone arch which supports the staircase Photo: MichaelPhoto: Rimmer leading to the rood loft, another unusual A medieval masterpiece feature of this lovely church. This famous roof, dating back at least fi ve centuries, is a A prayer for visitors triumph of medieval Loving God, architecture at a time when We thank you for this wonderful building no metal fi xings were used – only tongued joints and And ask your blessing on all who visit here. wooden pegs. May we and all your people fi nd peace in your house. The full splendour of the roof May we leave this place encouraged by your presence with its incredible 30-ft span And fi lled with your Spirit. Amen was only revealed when a vaulted plaster ceiling was removed during the restoration of 1880. The roof is unrivalled in England for its breathtaking technical audacity creating what has been described as a whole church seemingly in the air. Words and Design: Realworkstudio.com 2018 started life, not as a parish church St John the Baptist 6 PULPIT 8 EAGLE LECTERN 10 CHOIR STALLS 13 STATIONS OF THE CROSS but as a chapel of ease, making it ‘easier’ for residents to attend services rather than trekking the mile or so to neighbouring Barking. The 19th century The brass Poppyheads on the choir stalls, This is A chapel stood on this site as far back as 1277. Located on the main road pulpit replaced eagle lectern either side of the chancel, feature the fi rst through the town, it stands on a line running southeast – northwest rather an earlier three- was among beautiful Victorian carvings such of a set of than the east-west orientation of most churches. It may have been built as a tier pulpit, gifts donated as this bishop wearing his mitre. paintings stopping point of prayer for pilgrims travelling from Canterbury to the removed along to the newly- Poppyhead comes from the French depicting shrine of St Edmund at Bury. with the restored poupée, roughly the last It was Bishop William Grey of Ely who paid for the rebuilding of the chapel Commandments chapel in translated as journey of in 1463 with the help of a wealthy female benefactor. The chapel would and the Lord’s 1880. It is ‘doll’. Such Jesus in then have been at the heart of a bustling marketplace which fl ourished for Prayer boards the symbol of John the Apostle bench ends 14 stages. many years until Needham was isolated by the plague of 1663-5. which have never been found. The carrying the word of God to all were popular They continue anticlockwise The magnifi cent angel roof was concealed by plaster but revealed in 1880 pulpit was a gift of 1880 when the corners of the world. The eagle with 15th round the church. The by the Victorians who meticulously restored every detail and added more church was re-opened following fl ies higher than other birds and is century paintings are by Francis Hoyland angels to the hammerbeams. The guidebook in the church traces the the Victorian restoration when the therefore said to be closest to wood and formed part of a series of remarkable history of the building, leading up to the Royal decree of 1901 fi rst collection raised over £57, a Heaven. The tradition of eagle carvers. modern interpretations of which fi nally made St John’s a parish church in its own right. You can still princely sum in those days. lecterns predates the Reformation. Stations of the Cross to mark walk the Causeway or ‘corpseway’ between Needham and Barking. 11 BISHOP’S CHAIR the millennium in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. 1 PILGRIM FIGURES 4 GREEN MAN The Bishop’s chair, in the The pilgrim fi gures A green man can 12 sanctuary, dates back to the 17th century and is believed to 14 EAST WINDOW be spotted high 13 in the porch date 11 incorporate parts of the medieval ALTAR back some 500 up on the second rood screen. The vast east 14 years and are from beam at the back 7 A new rood screen, introduced in window the town’s old of the church. 6 1953, now stands behind the altar. above the almshouses. They Curious faces As St John’s was a chapel of ease altar allows were placed in sprouting foliage, fi rst appeared in CHANCEL 10 for centuries, the light to pour the church in 10th century manuscripts. Images 5 SEATING contents of the into the in books were a source of 9 2009 when new 8 building were church and almshouses were inspiration for church patrons, NAVE simple. was another built and are a which might explain why ‘green of the gifts 3 Many items of fi tting tribute to pilgrims that may men’ appear in so many churches. SEATING interest were lost donated in have stopped here to pray. Note 2 during the 1880 after the STONE CORBELS VESTRY the satchels and upturned hats. 5 Reformation. restoration. It was made by The wall posts 4 1 Victorian glass specialists James 2 ENTRANCE DOORS supporting the 12 MEDIEVAL GLASS Powell & Sons who became The Tudor porch was demolished long hammer world leaders in their fi eld with and the present beams of the roof Main entrance This beautiful the building and restoration of one built in 1883. rest on stone stained glass so many Victorian churches. The The massive corbels, each window in the glass in this window includes entrance doors featuring a carved chancel has been a crucifi xion by John William have been much re-created from angel, and each 7 ROOD STAIR 9 CLERGY STALLS Brown whose work includes restored but holding a symbol fragments of The carved armrests on the clergy windows in the Lady Chapel of retain their 15th of Christ’s crucifi xion, such as the The doorway beside medieval glass stalls depict the Evangelists who Liverpool Cathedral, refl ecting century, carved nails, the crown of thorns and the the pulpit reveals discovered under wrote the four Gospels found in the part that women played in oak panels. pierced hands and feet. intriguing well-worn the fl oor during the Bible’s New the history of Christianity. steps. They led to the the Victorian restoration. In 1643, Testament. 3 BAPTISMAL FONT former rood gallery William Dowsing of Laxfi eld was The angel is for We hope you have enjoyed A blue red and gold 15th century baptismal font stands or loft – a feature commissioned – as part of the St Matthew, the your trail round St John’s. near the entrance, marking the start of the journey of of many medieval Puritan reform – to destroy There is much beauty in lion St Mark, the faith. Note the gilded Agnus Dei ‘Lamb of God’ carved in churches. The rood is the cross or ‘superstitious’ images. At St John’s this historic church but winged ox one of the panels. The font was among gifts to mark the crucifi x that would have been set high he smashed the images in stained when it is full of people St Luke, and the re-opening of the church in 1880 after the Victorian above the chancel to symbolize the glass, the rood loft, and various worshipping God eagle St John. restoration. death of Christ. carvings and crosses. it is truly glorious..