Church of St John the Evangelist, Elkstone explained

Church of St John the Evangelist
Denomination:Church of England
Diocese:Gloucester
Province:Canterbury
Heritage Designation:Grade I listed building
Designated Date:12 November 1958
Pushpin Map:Gloucestershire
Benefice:The Churn Valley

The Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist at Elkstone in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England was built in the 12th century. It is a grade I listed building.[1]

History

The church nave, chancel and central tower was built in 1160. In the 13th century the tower was removed and the roof raised adding a columbarium or dovecote.[2] A new three-stage tower was built in the 15th century.[2]

The parish is part of the Churn Valley benefice within the Diocese of Gloucester.[3]

In 2017 an "eco-loo" or composting toilet was installed and opened by the Bishop of Tewkesbury.[4]

Architecture

The limestone building has stone slate roofs. It consists of a nave, Chancel, south porch and west tower. The columbarium has pigeon holes in the north and east walls.[1]

Some of the arches and vaults provide import remnants of Romanesque architecture. The south doorway of the nave has a Norman tympanum with a carving of a seated Christ on a cushioned throne, holding the Book of Judgement in his left hand and giving a blessing with his right.[5] [6] The chancel arch has a Norman chevron pattern.[7]

The tower houses six bells with the oldest dating from 1657.[2] Around the church are a collection of gargoyles and grotesques.[8]

Inside the church are box pews and a wooden Jacobean hexagonal pulpit dating from 1609.[2] [9] [1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church of St. John the Evangelist . National Heritage List for England . Historic England . 13 October 2020.
  2. Web site: Church of St John the Evangelist . Elkstone village . 13 October 2020 . 10 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200810012550/https://www.elkstonevillage.com/?page_id=25 . live .
  3. Web site: Elkstone parish church . A Church Near You . Church of England . 13 October 2020 . 13 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201013145431/https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/14302/more-information/ . live .
  4. Web site: Bishop of Tewkesbury to open eco-loo at Elkstone Church . Diocese of Gloucester . 13 October 2020 . 22 May 2017 . 31 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170531230926/http://www.gloucester.anglican.org/2017/bishop-of-tewkesbury-to-open-eco-loo-at-elkstone-church/ . live .
  5. Web site: St John the Evangelist, Elkstone, Gloucestershire . The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland . 13 October 2020 . 13 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201013145431/https://www.crsbi.ac.uk/view-item?i=5380 . live .
  6. Book: Lees . Hilary . Porch and pew: Small churches of the Cotswolds . 1998 . Walnut Tree . 978-0948251924. 34–35.
  7. Web site: Ross . David . Elkstone, Gloucestershire, St John the Evangelist Church . Britain Express . 13 October 2020 . 5 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170705170259/http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/glouces/Elkstone.htm . live .
  8. Web site: Elkstone . Great English Churches . 13 October 2020 . 24 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200224124150/http://greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/elkstone.html . live .
  9. Web site: Church of St John the Evangelist, Elkstone, Gloucestershire . English Churches . 13 October 2020 . 13 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201013145431/http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/cotswolds/gloucestershire/gloucestershire_two/elkstone/index.html . live .

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