St. John
Another contribution to this series, started by sadexploration.
The church of St. John the Baptist, Bisley, is a small building. The nave is probably that of a 12th-century building, but no details of that or even of the two following centuries are left. In the south wall is a 15th-century inserted window, which is almost the only old feature remaining. The present chancel is modern; the former one was of brick and timber of 15th-century origin, but fell into a dilapidated state and the arch into it from the nave was closed up. In 1872 the present chancel was built and the church enlarged by the addition of the north aisle.
The chancel is of brick and is lighted by three eastern lancets and two in the north wall. The north arcade of the nave is of two bays, the middle pillar being circular with a moulded capital, and the pointed arches are of two chamfered orders. West of the arcade is a modern lancet window. Of the two south windows the first is a modern one of three lights and tracery under a pointed head; the second Is a 15th-century window of three trefoiled lights under a square head, the middle light being wider than the others; it has modern mullions and sill. Between the windows is a small trefoiled niche formerly a piscina, which was found at the restoration of the church beneath the ruins of the chancel. The west doorway is modern, of 15th-century style. The north aisle has a single-light window at each end and two two-light windows in the side wall.
The walling of the south wall of the nave is of conglomerate and of the west wall of roughly squared blocks of Heath stone. The roof of the nave is old, with plain collar beams which were formerly plastered. Over the west end is an old bell-turret covered with modern boarding, including the upper half of the west gable the vertical face of the turret is seen inside the nave with its old timbers; it is capped by a modern wood spire covered with oak shingles.
The west porch probably dates from the 14th century; its sides are open, with five square bays divided by hollow-chamfered mullions; the entrance has a pointed arch formed by two solid pieces of wood with hollow-chamfered edges; the barge-board of the gable over is foiled with rounded points, the middle foil being of ogee shape.
The altar table and font are modem; but the pulpit is a 17th-century one with carved and moulded rods.
There are three bells; the oldest, which is the second, has this inscription in capitals on the shoulder:
"+ Fraternitas fecit me in honore beate Marie"
it is said to have been brought from the abbey of Chertsey, to which Bisley formerly belonged, and was probably cast early in the 14th century. The treble is by Thomas Swaine 1781 and the tenor by William Eldridge 1710.
The cache has a log book only but no pen so please bring one with you.
If anybody would like
to expand this series please do, we would just ask that you could
let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church
numbers and names to avoid duplication