St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes
St John the Baptist's Church, Papworth St Agnes, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	TL 269 644
Location	Papworth St Agnes, Cambridgeshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Friends of Friendless Churches
History
Former name(s)	St Peter's Church, Papworth St Agnes
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	31 August 1962
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1848
Completed	1854
Specifications
Materials	Limestone and knapped flint fieldstone flushwork in a chequerboard pattern, tiled roofs

St John the Baptist's Church is an old Anglican church in a village called Papworth St Agnes in Cambridgeshire, England. It's not used for regular church services anymore. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical place. The Friends of Friendless Churches charity looks after it.

A Look at the Church's Past

A church has stood on this spot for a very long time. There was even a church here when the Domesday Survey was done. That was way back in 1086!

Building Over the Years

• The first church was replaced by a new one in 1530.
• By 1827, part of this church, called the chancel, was gone.
• The church then had a tall tower at the west end and a main hall called a nave.
• It was built in a style known as Perpendicular.

A New Church is Built

Most of the church you see today was built in the mid-1800s. The tower was rebuilt in 1848. The rest of the church was finished between 1852 and 1854. The new church used some parts from the older buildings. The rector, Rev J. H. Sperling, designed this new church himself.

What the Church Looks Like

The church is built with special materials. It has blocks of limestone and knapped flint fieldstone. These are arranged in a cool checkerboard pattern. The roof is made of tiles.

Church Layout

• The church has a main area called a nave with four sections.
• There's a porch on the north side where you enter.
• It also has a chancel with two sections and a small room called a vestry.
• The tower is at the west end of the church.

Special Features

• The church walls have buttresses, which are strong supports.
• The tower has three levels and strong supports at its corners.
• The top of the tower has a battlement (like a castle wall) and gargoyles. Gargoyles are stone carvings that often look like monsters.
• All the windows are arched and have three sections. They also have fancy stone patterns called tracery.
• Both the porch and the vestry have pointed roofs called gables.

Old Parts Reused

Some parts of the church are very old. They were saved from the earlier churches. These include:

• A doorway from the 1300s.
• The arch leading to the tower, which is from the 1530 church.
• The gargoyles on the tower.

The Church Today

Over time, the church started to fall apart. By the 1970s, it was mostly ruined. In 1976, it was officially declared "redundant," meaning it was no longer used for services. There was even a plan to knock it down.

Saved from Demolition

Luckily, in 1979, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches stepped in. They took over the church to save it. When they took over, many things were missing or damaged:

• Tiles were gone from the roofs.
• Beautiful stained glass windows by William Wailes had been removed.
• The font (a large bowl for baptisms) was outside in the churchyard.
• The organ, built around 1860, was also gone.

Restoration and New Life

Over the next few years, people worked hard to raise money. They wanted to repair and restore the church. A local group, the Friends of Papworth St Agnes, was also started. One piece of stained glass was moved to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral.

As part of the restoration:

• Modern lighting was put in.
• A kitchen and toilets were added for visitors.
• The font was brought back inside the church.
• The stained glass window was also returned.

In 2006, activities started happening in the church again. Today, it's used as a community center for the village. Sometimes, church services are still held there too.