St John the Baptist, Wonersh
Guided
Tour of the Porch & Nave
3Jesus has been found worthy of greater
honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the
house itself.
4For
every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
This should be read in association with pages on :- History
of St John the Baptist,
Windows,
Brasses and Pictures,
Monuments,Inscriptions
& Dedications inside the Church
for the full inscriptions.
The modern porch was added in 1995/6 and includes a meeting room (The
Selwyn Room), a small kitchen, an office and toilet facilities. Above the door the window is engraved “To the
Glory of God St John the Baptist Church Porch Opened and dedicated by the Rt
Revd John Gladwin Bishop of Guildford Sunday 10th March 1996.”
The modern screen (parclose), made in 1929 originally from the north side
of the chancel, erected in the porch as a notice board has the inscription in
memory of Richard
and Sarah Sparkes.
A tile tablet in the floor of the entrance is in memory of Nan Trounce
1914-1986, whose generous bequest contributed substantially to the building of
the porch.
Move to the nave.
The main body of a church is called the Nave with the pews for the
congregation, and in front of you is the chancel arch and beyond that the altar
and large east window. Most churches are
aligned east /west, with chapels, sometimes known as a transepts, either side
of the chancel. Out tower is somewhat
unusually positioned to the north of the nave, in common with some other Surrey
churches (including Bramley and
The nave was substantially rebuilt in brick in 1793 however the lower part of the left hand (north) wall and west wall of the chancel have significant parts of the original 11th century structure. The chancel arch is also original and dates to the 13th century. Above the arch notice the old roof lines which indicate the development of the nave; the smaller span dating to 11th C, and the wider span to early 13th C. The southern wall of the nave was on a line to the right of the chancel arch and a south aisle extended the length of the church extending about 10ft wider than the present south (right hand) wall. The eastern end of the south aisle was called the Tangley Chapel. There were three arches down the nave, however all this was swept away in 1793 and all that remains is one block of stonework laying on the floor of the tower. The whole floor of the church was, until 1793, some 18ins lower than it is now.
Much of the nave
was rebuilt again in the restoration of 1901 however the brick Georgian
structures were retained rather than trying to recreate the lost medieval
building. The15th C roof
beams were reused and the plastered ceiling removed to reveal the mortises cut
in the roof beams.
In the 19th
century there was a large enclosed pew for the Grantley family in the chancel
arch, a large gallery extended over a third of the nave with box pews and
pulpit in the centre of the north wall.
Some of this woodwork remains:- the Grantley pew was formed into the
partition in the vestry, the gallery
front now forms the dado rail on the north side, the old pew ends were used
around the south and west walls, and the balustrade of the old pulpit is now in
the modern staircase leading to the belfry.
In the 15th
century it was the fashion to divide the nave and chancel by a screen, called a
Rood. On the underside of the chancel
arch can be seen the groove which took the 15th C rood screen. Notice the blocked up doorway
adjacent to the chancel arch just above the tower arch, and also the flat area
on the opposite side of the chancel arch just behind the pulpit. These were part of the rood loft which would
have been above the screen. A beam, now
in the roof of the chancel, was also part of this structure.
All ancient glass was destroyed in 1793 and replaced by plain clear glass. All present stained glass is 20th century. There are three modern stained glass windows on the south wall and one in a lancet window in the north wall. There are four large 19th C burial hatchments of the Grantley family high up on either side and a large royal George III Achievement of Arms hung on the east wall. On the west wall there is a modern wooden crucifix which was originally part of the 1930’s rood screen. This is above a charming wall tablet, the inscription and side columns of which are missing (possibly that of John Caryll D1612). There is a painted wooden panel onto which the names of all the incumbents of the Parish have been recorded. There are also two large reproductions of religious paintings; The Madonna on the Rocks and The Vision of St Helena. The nave pews are benches in elm, very beautifully figured. The pulpit is early 20th C carved walnut.
The memorials around the nave, clockwise from the door are:-
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North
Wall |
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Sound System Cabinet |
Norah Eleanor Bird 13th
June 1900-1989 |
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Wall
tablet, white marble |
Sarah the beloved and devoted wife
of the Revd. E.E.Body,M.A. Depicting a rose falling from its stem. Note that in a period of 2 months the vicar
lost two infant children and his wife |
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Wall
tablet directly below the above |
Elihu Edmondi Body A.M (note that the central window in the nave south wall was given by his second wife) |
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Brass
plate on dado panelling |
Frank Sparkes d1920 |
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Slate wall tablet |
Walter Enticknap 1906-1990
and Elsie 1909-1987 |
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Mary d1809, wife of Richard Dallett Mr. Richard Sparkes d1815 and Sarah his wife d 1837 A
further entry has been erased by acid. |
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Roll of Honour, wooden plaque with columns:- Further
information may be found by searching the website of the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. Note
that Wilfred Covey is buried in the Parish Cemetery Some
of these are repeated on the Roll of
Honour of St Martin’s Blackheath. |
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Richard Sparkes Esqre. D1850
and of Sarah his wife d 1851 |
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East Wall |
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Brass reading lectern |
John Sparkes d1899 |
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Tablet behind Pulpit |
Elizabeth Benjamin d1789 |
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South Wall |
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John Maybanke Esqre. D 1850 Heb.xii 2 |
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Andrew Binney Richie, Archdeacon
of |
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Edward Wells d1877 |
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Roll of Honour Details
of those on the Roll of Honour may be found by searching the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. Note
that Frederick Balchin (identified in the CWGC records) and Thomas Bramble
are buried in the Parish Cemetery |
Wonersh Roll of Honour 1939 + 1945 GEORGE HENRY ALLEN CHARLES PULLEN DONALD TAGG R.I.P. |
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West Wall |
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Wooden Panel |
Names of incumbents of the parish |
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Inscription & side columns missing, possibly John Caryll d1612 |
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Marble
Monument with Crest |
Frederick
Edward Grey Ponsonby First BARON SYSONBY of
Wonersh |