St John the Baptist's Church, Tunstall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist Church, Tunstall
St John the Baptist Church, Tunstall, from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SD 614,739
Location	Tunstall, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St John the Baptist, Tunstall
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	4 October 1967
Architect(s)	Austin and Paley (restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Specifications
Capacity	250
Materials	Sandstone rubble, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Tunstall, St John the Baptist, Melling, St Wilfrid, and Leck, St Peter
Deanery	Tunstall
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St John the Baptist Church is a historic church located northeast of Tunstall, a village in Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. This church is part of a group of churches called the East Lonsdale benefice, which includes St Peter, Leck, St Wilfrid, Melling, St James the Less, Tatham, The Good Shepherd, Lowgill, and Holy Trinity, Wray.

St John the Baptist Church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is considered a building of exceptional interest. Church services are usually held here on the second and fourth Sundays of each month at 11:00 AM.

History of the Church

A church has stood in Tunstall for a very long time. Records show a church here even in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. The oldest parts of the current church building date back to the 13th century.

Around 1415, a local knight named Sir Thomas Tunstal rebuilt the church. Over the years, more changes were made, especially in the 16th century.

The Brontë Sisters' Connection

In the 1820s, the famous Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily, and Anne – attended this church. They were students at the Clergy Daughters' School in nearby Cowan Bridge at the time. Imagine sitting in the same pews where these famous authors once sat!

Modern Restoration Work

In 1907, the church underwent a major restoration. This work was carried out by the architects Austin and Paley from Lancaster. They put a new roof on the church, made the area for the organ bigger, and added a vestry (a room where clergy prepare for services). This restoration cost about £1,000 at the time, which would be a lot more money today!

Church Design and Features

The church is built from sandstone rubble (rough, unshaped stones) and has a slate roof. Its design includes a tower at the west end, a main hall called a nave, and a chancel (the area around the altar), all under one continuous roof. There are also side sections called aisles on the north and south, and a two-story porch on the south side.

Outside the Church

The church tower has strong supports called buttresses and a decorative top edge called an embattled parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. Above the small openings where the bells are, you can see carved stone tablets. Each tablet shows an angel holding a shield. The main door on the west side has a pointed arch. Above it is a window with three sections, featuring a style called Perpendicular tracery (decorative stone patterns).

Both the aisles and the porch also have embattled parapets. Above the porch door, there is a small carved space called a niche. Inside this niche, you'll find a sundial plate, which tells time using the sun's shadow. Above that, there's a small single window.

Inside the Church

Inside, some parts of the north arcade (a row of arches) have capitals (the top parts of columns) that are from the early 13th century. The tall, narrow windows in the west part of the north aisle are also likely from this same century. The roof and the screen separating the chancel were added during the 1907 restoration.

Ancient Roman Stone

An interesting feature inside is a Roman votive stone. This type of stone was often left as an offering to gods. It is believed to be connected to the Over Burrow Roman Fort nearby and has been built into the frame of a window in the north aisle.

Chapel and Font

At the east end of the south aisle, there is a special area known as the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. Inside this chapel, you can see a damaged stone statue, called an effigy, which is thought to be of Sir Thomas Tunstal, who rebuilt the church. Under the arch of the tower, there is an 18th-century oval marble font (a basin for baptisms) resting on a decorative stone base.

Stained Glass and Art

The large east window has beautiful stained glass panels. These panels came from the Netherlands and date back to the late 15th and 16th centuries. A man named Richard Toulmin North, who lived at nearby Thurland Castle, gave them to the church in 1810. On the south wall, there is also a stained glass window from 1979, created by an artist named Jane Gray. The church also has several memorials dedicated to the Fenwick family.

The church has a two-manual organ, which means it has two keyboards. It was built in 1923 by a company called Harrison and Harrison.

The Montemezzano Painting

One of the church's most valuable treasures is a 16th-century painting by the artist Francesco Montemezzano. It was likely given to the church in the early 1800s by Frederick Needham, who was the church's vicar (priest) from 1810 to 1816. He was also related to Richard Toulmin North, who donated the stained glass.

This painting was once taken away for restoration work as part of a BBC television program. Now, the painting is back in the church. You can see it whenever the church is open, which is usually from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM every day of the week. There is also information about the painting and copies for sale inside the church.

Outside the Church Grounds

Near the church, there is an old sandstone sundial base. It probably dates from the 18th century. It has a round column with a square top, sitting on three octagonal steps. This sundial base is also a listed building, at Grade II.

The churchyard (the graveyard around the church) also contains the war graves of four service members who died during World War II.

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
• Grade I listed churches in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Tunstall, Lancashire