Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Pebmarsh (EHER 9341)

Mainly 14th century parish church. Walls of stone rubble with dressings of limestone, the rubble mainly exposed inside and outside, but cement rendered on the east and north walls of the chancel. Porch and parapets of red brick in English bond. Roofed with handmade red clay tiles and lead. West tower early 14th century, added to a pre-existing nave. Chancel and nave rebuilt soon afterwards, and north and south aisles then added.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 9341, 9342, 9343, 9344, and 28661. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St John the Baptist's Church [NAT]. <1> Parish Church of St John the Baptist stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are flint rubble with limestone dressings; porch and parapet are red brick; roofs are tile and lead covered. The earliest part is the west tower, added early in the 14th century to a pre-existing nave lower and narrower than the present one. Soon after the chancel and nave were rebuilt and the north and south aisles added or rebuilt. Early in the 16th century the chancel was shortened, the south porch added and most of the parapets rebuilt. Photo of porch in RCHM. Features and fittings include: 14th century windows and doorways; 16th century timbers in nave roof; old rafters in aisle roof; south porch roof has early 16th century moulded and embattled wall plates; one of the bells is 15th century, inscribed; brass in chancel of Sir William Fitzralph, about 1323; coffin lid in south aisle, 14th century; medieval door in south doorway; 14th century glass in early 16th century window in south porch; 15th century panelling incorporated in pulpit 14th century piscina in south wall of south aisle; 14th century sedilia in chancel. Restored in the 19th century when the organ chamber was added. Features and fittings include; brass inscription on chancel south wall, 1674; two late 17th century chairs in chancel; 18th or 19th century chest in tower; 17th century floor slabs; plate includes cup of 1567 and stand-patten of 1696-7. Site Assessment = The porch is a good example of early 16th century brickwork and among the fittings the early 14th century brass is particularly noteworthy. <2> There are a few fragments of Roman brick in the fabric. The former roof weathering line on the east wall of the tower indicates that the pre 14th century nave was a tall narrow structure and the proportions would indicate that it was likely to have been a Saxon structure, or that there had been previous aisles and a clerestory. Site Assessment = Further investigation needed to resolve whether there was a Saxon. Nave and aisles were stripped of wall plaster in the 19th century and left bare, an unusual treatment for a church in Essex. It looks bleak. Graveyard is overgrown against the south and east walls, but is good. <3> There is some evidence that an earlier church or chapel predates the 14th century St John the Baptist church. <4> Pevsner has photos of porch. Brass is the earliest and one of the most important in the county. 18th century cupola on top of west tower. 19th and 20th century stained glass. <5> Parish Church of St John the Baptist. Grade I. Nave roof has been restored, mainly queen posts and their braces. 14th century south door with refitted domed scutcheon plate and drop handle, probably original. <6> According to records there was a rector named Richard here in 1254 and there are slight indications of a previous building in parts of the wall of the present church. Sir William Fitzralph, depicted on brass, held the manor of Pebmarsh. Font is 19th century, it is not known what the old font was like, or what became of it. On north wall of nave is a painting on canvas of the Royal Arms of George I or III. <7> 1992. Watching brief. Watching brief in 1992 on electrical duct cutting into the Victorian tiled floor. Width of duct 150mm, depth 110-120mm. Observation revealed no features apart from the hard thick mortar (80mm) on which the tiles were bedded, plus a hard core below that on which the mortar was laid. All spoil from the duct was examined, but the only artefacts were fragments of the red and black floor tiles. <8> 1998. Meeting. Notes on a meeting in 1998 to discuss proposed rebuilds to boundary wall etc. <9> See also: <10> - <12>