Church of St John the Baptist, Niton
50°35′18″N 01°17′15″W / 50.58833°N 1.28750°W
| Church of St John the Baptist, Niton | |
|---|---|
Niton, Isle of Wight |
The Church of St John the Baptist, Niton is a
History
The church was founded by William FitzOsbern and given to an abbey in Normandy.[citation needed] In the Victorian era it was extensively restored and rebuilt.[1]
The nave may be 11th century,[2] as may be the Norman font.[3] A north aisle was added at the end of the 12th century and a south aisle shortly afterwards.[2] In the 14th century the chancel was rebuilt and the south porch was added.[2] In the 15th century a chapel was added south of the chancel and east of the south aisle, and a four-centred arch was inserted in the south wall of the chancel to link it with the chapel.[2] The north aisle was demolished, its arcade filled in and two-light Perpendicular Gothic windows inserted in each of the filled-in arches.[2] The Perpendicular Gothic[3] west tower was added towards the end of the 15th century.[2] The square-headed windows in the south aisle were inserted in the 16th century and the spire was added to the tower probably early in the 17th century.[2]
On the wall can be found a memorial portrait by John Flaxman, showing a woman holding pelicans in her hand in relief.[citation needed] The chancel has a modern reredos.[citation needed]
The registers, which date from 1560, include the following entry:
July the 1st, Anno Domini 1675. Charles II, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, etc., came safely ashore at Puckaster, after he had endured a great and dangerous storm at sea.."[4]
In front of the porch is a 19th-century Celtic cross by Joseph Clarke[3] on the four steps of the old churchyard cross.
Near the Celtic cross a marble monument marks the grave of Edward Edwards, (1812–1886) the pioneer of the public library movement.[citation needed] The churchyard also contains four Commonwealth war graves of service personnel, three from World War I and one from World War II.[5]
Organ
A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register[permanent dead link].
References
Sources
- Page, W.H., ed. (1912). A History of the County of Hampshire, Volume 5. Victoria County History. pp. 187–189.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David (1967). Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 754.