St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
St John's Church, Guilden Sutton
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OS grid reference	SJ 448 682
Location	Guilden Sutton, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	https://www.guildensutton-plemstall.church/
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	1 June 1967
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1815
Specifications
Materials	Brick, Welsh slate roof
Administration
Parish	Guilden Sutton
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St John the Baptist's Church is a special old building in the village of Guilden Sutton, which is close to Chester in Cheshire, England. It's an active church where people still go for services today. This church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical place. It's part of the Anglican Church of England and works closely with another church, St Peter's in Plemstall.

What's the Church's Story?

This church was built in 1815. It stands on the same spot where an older church used to be. Sadly, part of the old church, called the chancel (the area around the altar), was blown down by strong winds in 1802.

Later, during the Victorian era (when Queen Victoria ruled, from 1837 to 1901), a small tower for bells, called a bellcote, was added to the church.

The inside of the church was updated in 2001. During this time, a wooden screen and choir seats were taken out. A new toilet was added, and the main entrance was made better for visitors. In 2005, the bellcote needed repairs because tiny insects called death watch beetles had damaged the wood.

How the Church Looks

Outside the Church

The church is built with bricks and has a roof made of Welsh slate. Some parts of the walls from the church built in the 1500s are still there in the main part of the church, called the nave.

The church has a simple shape. It has a long main section that includes the nave and the chancel all in one. There's also a small porch on the south side. At the west end, there's an eight-sided timber bellcote with louvred openings for the bells.

The windows on the sides of the church are simple and have rounded tops. The window at the east end, behind the altar, is a tall, narrow window with a pointed top, known as a lancet window.

Inside the Church

The inside of St John's Church is quite simple. The chancel area is slightly raised. There used to be a wooden screen separating the chancel from the rest of the church.

The doorway inside has twisted balusters (small pillars) and shows the date 1698. You can also see a painted memorial plaque inside the church. It's dedicated to the Whitehead family and was likely made by a famous local artist named Randle Holme III.

The font, which is used for baptisms, is round and has the date 1635 carved on it, along with a single flower design.

Things Outside the Church

In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there's a sundial made of light brown sandstone. It has a column-like base on a square bottom, with a different kind of stone at the top.

The copper plate on the sundial, along with its gnomon (the part that casts a shadow), has the date 1596 carved into it. It also has lines and numbers to tell the time. This sundial is also a Grade II listed item, meaning it's historically important.

The churchyard is also the resting place for three soldiers who died in wars. Two of them were from World War I and one was from World War II.

See also

• Listed buildings in Guilden Sutton