St John The Baptist Church, Shipton Moyne In 1864, Before Its Remodelling

The 1864 Remodelling of The Church

The Old Church

The Church of St John the Baptist in Shipton Moyne underwent a significant reconstruction in 1864–65, led by the architect Thomas Henry Wyatt. This project was initiated by the Patron and owner of the Estcourt Estate, Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron Estcourt, as an expression of gratitude for his recovery from a serious illness.

The medieval church, which had origins dating back to Norman times, was largely demolished during this Victorian restoration. However, certain elements were preserved: the chancel, vestry, parts of the north aisle, and the Estcourt Chapel on the south side. The original central tower was removed, and the nave was extended eastward to create a larger chancel. Additionally, a new south aisle was constructed, and a low embattled tower with a porch was added at the southwest corner.

The below image was taken some time before the 1864 remodelling work started on the church. The second image is a colorized version of the original picture, to enable us to envisage the church, were it still standing today.

St John The Baptist Church, Shipton Moyne In 1864, Before Its Remodelling
St John The Baptist Church, Shipton Moyne In 1864, Before Its Remodelling - Colorized

The 1864/5 Church

The rebuilt church showcases a High Victorian Gothic style, characterized by ashlar stone construction, a concrete tile roof with moulded coped verges, and decorative cross finials. The three-stage southwest tower features trefoil-headed lancet windows and a pierced parapet with open quatrefoils. Inside, the church houses early 14th-century effigies of two knights and a lady, believed to be members of the Moyne family, as well as numerous monuments dedicated to the Estcourt family.

The font, installed during the reconstruction, serves as a memorial to Edward Dugdale Bucknall Estcourt, who died in 1864. Furthermore, a sixth bell was added to the church's peal in 1865, cast by G. Mears of London.

This extensive restoration not only transformed the architectural landscape of the church, but also reinforced the Estcourt family's prominent status within the area, as evidenced by the numerous memorials and contributions made during the rebuilding process.

The below image of the church was probably taken in the 1880s, judging by the large new tomb in front of the Estcourt Chapel. The second image is a colorized version of the original.

St John The Baptist Church, Shipton Moyne In 1864, After Its Remodelling
St John The Baptist Church, Shipton Moyne In 1864, After Its Remodelling - Colorized

Comparing The Old and New Churches

Comparing the pictures of the old and new churches, we can see that some features of the old church look to be preserved.

The Chancel

The size of the chancel appears to be the same in the new church, although, judging by the windows, the walls and roof are taller in the new church. The East Window has clearly been rebuilt and the old church's single light window has been filled in and been replaced with a new copy of the two light window.

The corner buttresses have been enlarged on the new church and a new buttress has been added between the two windows.

The Estcourt Chapel

The Estcourt Chapel remains in place, but there have been several changes to its appearance.

  • The South Window has been replaced.
  • The roof has lost its castellation and has been raised in height with a stone cross being added to the peak of the roof.
  • The "EE" carving and two armorials have been added below the window.
  • The East Window of the chapel has been filled in, with the niche below it being left in-place.

The Nave

To the west of the Estcourt Chapel, it looks as if the one window of the old church remains in-situ, although it has subsequently been re-glazed.

The Vestry

The Vestry is on the north side of the church, opposite the Estcourt Chapel. In the current church, the old vestry comprises a section of the north aisle up to the entrance of the modern-day vestry, which has since been added to the church.