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Summary

Parish church with late 13th or early 14th century fabric to the chancel. A perpendicular nave, west tower, south transept and north aisle, the latter added in 1547. The church was restored 1872-3.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1107600: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5259
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS43SE/6
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 98794

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (Built, XIII to XIV - 1201 AD to 1400 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1004.

Grinsell suggests that the dedication is to st. John, son of st. Brannock (of braunton) and that the church is hence of celtic foundation (grinsell).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335.

Parish church; st. John the baptist, xiv nave and chancel, north aisle built 1547, norman south wall of nave and font (hoskins).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV92240.

Hoskins, w. G. /devon/(1954)416.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV92241.

Grinsell, l. V. /archaeology of exmoor/(1970)210.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV92243.

Keen, l. /jbaa/32(1969)144-170 figs. Pls. /a series of seventeenth and eighteenth-century lead-glazed relief tiles from north devon.

KEEN, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV9723.

Keen notes the post-medieval relief tiles from north devon which are to be seen in the chancel of instow parish church (keen).

Clarke, K. M., 1919, The Baptismal Fonts of Devon. Part 6, 219, Pl.4 (Article in Serial). SDV56166.

Parish church; font. A cushion first type; plain except for modern axe dressing. Patches of new stone have been inserted at the rim. Modern base is circular with mouldings of 13th century type and a modern water rim. Limestone; bowl lead lined.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 108-9 (Monograph). SDV336196.

The south transept and chancel are probably the oldest parts. Ceiled wagon-roof in aisle. West tower with diagonal buttresses and stair-turret. Pevsner describes church fittings which include a Norman font, tiles, church plate and a monument.

Department of Environment, 1986, Instow, 50 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337221.

Parish church, late 13th century/early 14th century fabric to chancel. Perpendicular nave, west tower, south transept and north aisle, the latter added in 1547. Restored 1872-3 by William White. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with coped gable ends. West tower, nave, chancel, south transept and porch, north aisle. See DoE list for full details

Boyd, N., 2014, Replacement of the Floor in the South Transept (Report - Watching Brief). SDV357647.

Archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken during the excavation of an area of the floor of the south transept where human skeletal remains had been exposed during the floor level reduction in preparation for the installation of the new floor. The stratigraphic sequence demonstrated that below the (re-lain) 19th century wooden flooring was a layer of concrete underneath which lay a layer of builders rubble, made up primarily of lime mortar fragments, slate and stone. Human bones were revealed below this at a depth of only 0.15 metres below the previous wooden floor level. There were the remains of at least eight individuals within the rubble, indicated by the number of skulls and skull fragments. These were in two groups, one at either end of an area of disturbed soil located between two grave-cuts. All of the bones were retained by St. John the Baptist Church for reburial. See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6378 - Watching Brief, St John's Church, Instow, (Ref: ISJ13)
• EDV6649 - Archaeological Monitoring and Recording at St John's Church (Ref: ISJ14)

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