St John the Baptist Church, Adel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist Church
Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Adel
53°51′27″N 1°35′02″W / 53.85763°N 1.58395°W / 53.85763; -1.58395
Location	Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Architectural type	Romanesque
Specifications
Materials	Gritstone with stone slate roof
Administration
Parish	Adel
Deanery	Headingley
Archdeaconry	Leeds
Episcopal area	Leeds
Diocese	Leeds
Province	York

The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is a very old and important church. It is mainly built in the Norman style. This means it was built a long time ago, between 1066 and 1154. Experts like Nicholas Pevsner have called it one of the best and most complete Norman churches in Yorkshire.

The church is famous for its amazing south doorway with many carvings. It also has a beautifully carved arch inside, called the chancel arch. You can see a copy of a special 13th-century "sanctuary ring" on the outside of the south door. The original one was sadly stolen in 2002. This church is still used today as an Anglican parish church. It is part of the Diocese of Leeds.

History of the Church

This church is very old, built between 1150 and 1170. Some changes were made in the 1300s and 1500s. The west gable and bell tower were added between 1838 and 1839 by R. D. Chantrell. He also fixed the roof of the chancel in 1843. The roof of the main part of the church, called the nave, was fixed in 1879.

A fun fact is that the grandparents of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, got married at Adel Church in December 1946.

The church was given a special status called "Grade I listed" on September 26, 1963. This means it is a very important historic building. Other parts, like the sundial, a stone block for getting on horses, and some memorials, are also listed as "Grade II."

Church Design and Look

Outside the Church

The Norman south doorway

This small church has two main parts: a nave (the main area) and a chancel (the area near the altar) with a lower roof. The roof was made lower a long time ago, but it has since been put back to its original height. Some bigger windows were added and then removed again.

The church is special because it has stayed mostly the same since the Norman period. It doesn't have extra parts like aisles or transepts added later. The only big new parts are a bell tower from the 1800s and a small room called a vestry on the north side.

The most amazing part on the outside is the beautiful Norman doorway on the south side. It has four or more layers of fancy carved arches. Above the door, you can see old carvings of Christ and symbols like the lamb and flag, the cross, and the sun and moon. The wooden door used to have a 13th-century bronze "sanctuary ring" (like a door knocker) shaped like a monster eating a man. This was replaced with a copy after the original was stolen in 2002.

The church has small, round Norman windows. It also has a flat-topped window from the 1300s in the nave. Another similar window in the chancel was removed in 1879 to make it look more like the original Norman style. The south wall of the chancel has a small door for priests.

The vestry is connected to the church by a short passage with an arched doorway. The north and south walls of the church are decorated with 81 corbels, which are carved stone supports. The arch inside the church has 37 funny "beakheads," which are carvings that look like bird or animal heads. The bell tower was built in 1839.

Inside the Church

The chancel arch inside the church was built between 1160 and 1170. Its carved tops show scenes like the baptism of Christ, the crucifixion, and a centaur (a creature that is half-human, half-horse) with a bow.

The eight-sided font, used for baptisms, is at the west end of the church. It might be the original one, as it was found in the churchyard in 1859. There's also a carved oak canopy made by Eric Gill in 1921. It shows the crucifixion and other Christian symbols. The oak pulpit, where the priest speaks, has carved panels. It was given to the church by EW Beckett in memory of his wife, who passed away in 1891. The beautiful colored glass windows were made by Henry Gyles of York.

Church Activities

The church hall is located in the old stables. St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School is also nearby on Long Causeway.

Gallery

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  The original Norman door ring in 1963.

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  Interior showing the very fine Norman chancel arch, photographed ca. 1890

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  The corbel frieze and round Romanesque window

Images for kids

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  Adel church in 1868, showing how it looked after the chancel roof was fixed, but before the nave roof was restored. This is from a drawing by Rev G Rowe.

See also

• List of places of worship in the City of Leeds
• Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
• Listed buildings in Leeds (Adel and Wharfedale Ward)