Building record MDR4682 - St John The Baptist's Church, The Butts, Belper
Type and Period (3)
- ANGLICAN CHURCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1250 AD to 1900 AD)
- LYCH GATE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- CHURCHYARD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1250 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (II) 78437: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE BUTTS
- World Heritage Site
Full Description
This church was doubtless founded by Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, who died in 1296 and built a mansion here, probably a hunting seat. The buttresses and other details suggest a date c. 1250. (1)
Occasionally used by the adjacent school as a chapel. No regular services are held here [1966]. (2)
The Church of St John The Baptist is a Grade II Church of England building that was founded c. 1260 as a Forester's Chapel in Duffield Frith. It is a small building of coursed stone rubble with a single roof over the nave and chancel and buttresses at the east and west ends. The tiled roof has coped gables and there is a bellcote at the west end. It is generally of Early English period but was restored in 1870, the south porch dates to 1634. Within the interior is a very rare possession, a Pre-Reformation altar table which has never been disturbed (only 3 others are known). There is also a 15th century font and five ancient beams within the roof, which are probably reset. The building was used as a school sometime after the Reformation and stands in a picturesque churchyard. (3)
St John the Baptist, The Butts, is the old chapel of the village of Belper. Nave and chancel only, small and with smallish lancet windows (renewed, probably incorrectly). No other distinctive features. The Rawlins Manuscript shows a date-stone 1634 on the porch. (4)
The building is now labelled 'St John's Chapel Heritage Centre' on modern OS mapping [2011]. (5)
St John's Church, Belper was constructed in c. 1250 on the orders of William de Ferrers utilising stone in various colours in the brown/ buff/ grey range. This was probably won from either the site itself or within c. 150m. The use here, and probably for Belper Manor House, of the readily accessible Chatsworth Grit contrasts with almost all the other stone buildings in the area at this time, where Ashover Grit was deployed. (6)
Sources/Archives (6)
- <1> SDR11676 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J C. 1877. Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, Vol. III. p 142.
- <2> SDR6120 Personal Observation: F1 BHS 22-SEP-66.
- <3> SDR19551 Listed Building File: Historic England. 2011. The National Heritage List for England. List entry number 1335668.
- <4> SDR12891 Bibliographic reference: Pevsner, N. 1979. The Buildings of England: Derbyshire. 2nd ed., revised. pp 88-9.
- <5> SDR20816 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). Current Mastermap and 1:10000 series.
- <6> SDR21446 Unpublished document: Thomas, I (National Stone Centre). 2012. The Lower Derwent Valley: The Exploitation and Use of Historic Building Materials. p 7-8.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3524 4753 (28m by 15m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BELPER, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
| World Heritage Site | Derwent Valley Mills |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR3551
- EDR1319
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Dec 21 2018 9:27AM