Listed Building record MDR4828 - St John The Baptist's Church, Dethick Lane, Dethick, Lea and Holloway

St John The Baptist's Church, Dethick Lane, Dethick, Lea and Holloway, originally a 13th century building. 'The chapel of Dethick, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was founded in 1279. The tower dates from 1532 when the building was thoroughly restored.' (1) 'A well-preserved example of a medieval church on a prominent position on a hill close to the old manor site. Originally the private chapel to Dethick/Babington Manor House. It was built in 1225 and dedicated in 1279. The tower was added by Sir Anthony Babington in 1530 and has diagonal buttresses and a tall polygonal stair lantern turret. A frieze around the tower shows shields of the families which were intermarried with the Babingtons. It has a simple nave and chancel in one. The lancet windows, doorways and niches are of the original building. The clerestory windows have stained glass dedicated to the Wass family of nearby Lea Green, owners of the now dismantled local lead works. These windows and the added height date from the alterations which included the construction of the tower in 1530. There are no burials. It was declared a parish church by the Ecclesiastical Commission when the parish boundaries changed in 1900 but was not used as such because of the dedication of Christ Church, Holloway, in 1901. It is used for services once a month and for baptisms and marriages.' (2) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 35 NW PARISH OF DETHICK, LEA AND HOLLOWAY DETHICK LANE (off) 1/49 13-2-67 Church of St John the Baptist GV II* Anglican church. Tower dated 1530, the remainder of the church C13 with later additions and refashioning. Ashlar and coursed rubble gritstone with shallow pitched leaded roof. West tower, nave and chancel with clerestory, a single roof covering the body of the church, without visible differentiation between nave and chancel. West tower, of three stages, rising from a two stage moulded plinth, diagonal stepped buttresses with set-offs, rising to a moulded string- course below an ashlar crenallated parapet with moulded merlons. Tall polygonal stair turret with crenellated parapet rises above main tower at the south-east corner. Tower west face with doorway with four-centred arch beneath a moulded flat head, and with a stepped hoodmould rising above incribed plaque bearing date of 1530. Above first floor string-course, two tiers of late Perp. 3-light windows beneath pointed arched heads, hoodmoulds and stops; the upper opening blind. Deep decorated frieze band below bell stage carries carved heraldic shields of the Babingtons and related families, the tower having been erected by Sir Anthony Babington. Frieze band delineated by projecting continuous mouldings. Above, 2-light belfry windows with single chamfer to surrounds. Above, a moulded string- course, and ashlar crenellated parapet. South side wall with simple pointed arched doorway below hoodmould to west end, single light pointed arched window with hoodmould and stops, and, at the chancel end, a 3-light cusped hooded window within a chamfered square headed surround. Clerestory above in ashlar masonry, separated from lower rubble by a chamfered string-course. Four 2-light clerestory window with cinquefoil heads to lights within chamfered square headed surrounds. Shallow parapet to nave and chancel above chamfered string-course. 3-light 'Y' tracery east window beneath hoodmould with stops, within simply chamfered surround. North wall with three 2-light clerestory windows, and a single ground floor pointed arched light beneath a hoodmould. Shallow lean-to roof towards west end. Plain interior, with narrow pointed arch to tower. Listing NGR: SK3271457970.' (3)