St John the Baptist is an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Knutsford.
The church was designed by the architect John Garlive. It was built between 1741 - 1744, at a cost of £4,000, in a Georgian style using local brick with stone dressings and a slate roof. The building was consecrated on 24th June 1744.
The church is a Grade II* listed building. The description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"KNUTSFORD
SJ7478 CHURCH HILL 792-1/3/13 (South East side) 18/01/49 Church of St John the Baptist
GV II*
Parish church. 1741-4. By J Garlive. Chancel 1879 by A Darbyshire. Brick with stone dressings and slate roof.
PLAN: west tower, galleried nave expressed as 2 storeys, shallow chancel.
EXTERIOR: 4-stage west tower with west doorway with round-arched window over, round-arched bell chamber light in upper stage, and clock below. Modillion brackets to parapet, which is swept between urns on angles.
2-storeyed nave with stone plinth, angle quoins and string course, the parapet alternating solid and balustraded panels. 4 round-arched upper windows, 3 below, with doorway to SW in pedimented case with rusticated architrave, and round-arched inner door. Similar NW doorway. Tripartite window to shallow chancel, which is flanked to the north by organ chamber possibly a somewhat later addition, and by late C20 work to the south.
INTERIOR: nave with classical arcade of 4 bays, Tuscan columns on high bases carrying semicircular arches. Gallery to west, north and south with wood panelling. High console brackets articulate squared chancel arch. Low stone wall with cast-iron rail and integral wood and cast-iron pulpit divides the chancel. Wood panelling to chancel probably a late C19 addition, a classical style with dado and cornice, divided by fluted pilasters.
STAINED GLASS: triple window to east, with stained glass of 1861, representing the Baptism of Christ. Windows in north and south aisles form a series in a similar Renaissance style depicting Old and New Testament scenes, dated 1868, 1895, 1919 and 1921 and signed, Heaton Butler and Bayne. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-)."
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The churchyard is situated to the side of the church and has many old headstones. Some of the headstones have been relocated and placed along the wall and a number of rectangular headstones have been laid flat some forming a pathway.
The inscription from the headstone in my photograph reads as follows;
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
EMILY
DAUGHTER OF JAMES & ANN NORBURY
BORN DEC 25_1861, DIED JAN 12_1863.
ALSO JOSEPH THEIR SON
BORN FEB 4_1864, DIED MARCH 25_1865.
ALSO EMILY THEIR DAUGHTER
BORN FEB 23_1871, DIED AUG 18_1875.
ALSO ESTHER HOUGH THEIR GRANDMOTHER
DIED NOV 30_1876. AGED 81 YEARS.
ALSO JAMES THEIR SON
BORN FEBRUARY 14_ 1869, DIED JANUARY 25_1887.
ALSO JOHN HOUGH, HUSBAND OF THE ABOVE
ESTHER HOUGH, WHO DIED, MARCH 25TH 1891.
AGED 94 YEARS
ALSO THE ABOVE JAMES NORBURY,
WHO DIED SEPTEMBER 29TH 1891. AGED 55YEARS.
ALSO SARAH THEIR DAUGHTER,
WHO DIED AUGUST 6TH 1894, AGED 27 YEARS.