Church of St John and St Jiles, Great Easton (EHER 1282)

Church, probably early 12th century, altered 13th century and restored in 19th century. Built of flint and pebble rubble with lacing courses of Roman tile and dressings of limestone and clunch. North and gabled peg tile roof. The chancel is 13th century with two repaired lancet windows in the north and south walls and a 19th century east window of three lancet lights. The nave is of supposed 12th century origin.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1282, 1283, 1284, 1285, and 37527. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Church (NAT). <1> Domesday Book records a priest here in 1066. <2> Formerly Church of St Giles. Stands at east end of the village. Walls are flint and pebble rubble with some Roman tiles. Dressings are limestone and clunch. Nave is probably early 12th century, there are suggestions of a central tower. Chancel was built in the 13th century. Features and fittings: windows of the early 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th centuries, doorways of early 12th, 13th centuries, two bells of 15th century, piscina of 13th century. The south porch (19th century) has 15th century barge boards, once traceried, its roof has a 15th century tie-beam. Bell turret built about 1800 and brick wall built across nave at west end to support it. Church was restored, chancel arch and south porch rebuilt in the 19th century. In the east half of the nave north wall is a late 16th century and in the south wall is a 16th century window. The 19th century bell turret incorporates some woodwork, probably 17th century. Three bells are of 1665, brasses are of early 17th century, monuments and floor slabs are of 17th and 18th centuries, plate includes items of 17th and 18th centuries. Set in south wall of chancel-square stone with incised sundial. (RCHM 1) Grade II*. <3> - <5> Nave is Norman (south doorway). East half of nave has thicker walls, indicating it originally carried a crossing tower. Chancel is early English with lancet windows. <4> Church contains Roman brick. <6> <7> External ground level is very high, especially against the blocked north doorway, cause of internal dampness, showing through recent redecoration. Priest recorded here in Domesday Book in 1066. Graded BBIIa by Rodwell. 18th century marble mortar in churchyard outside porch. "Unusual Georgian woodwork, simple but pleasant". Good 19th century altar, reredos. "Good collection of undecorated 18th and 19th century monuments" in graveyard. Site Assessment = External ground level is very high, especially against the blocked north doorway, cause of internal dampness, showing through recent redecoration. No current threats, "should any arise, investigation is an important prerequisite for the understanding of the Norman building which is of somewhat uncommon plan". Roman brick used for Norman dressings, fragment of Rhenish lava quern in west wall. <8> See: <9>