Programme of Events | Membership | Publications | Editorial Board | Officers | Library |  Medieval Graffiti Survey  
Hampshire Field Club logo
Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society
Registered Charity number 243773     Homepage | Archaeology | Historic Buildings  |  Hampshire Papers  | Landscape | Local History   
" "

St John the Baptist, New Alresford

Postcode: S024 9AG Grid Ref: SU583326 CHR No: 641003

Exterior of St John the Baptist church, New Alresford 

Photo 1: Exterior of St John the Baptist, New Alresford

The church is Grade II* listed. It has a nave and aisle of 4 bays, and a chancel with north and south chapels. It is built of flint with stone dressings. There is a modern extension. Most of the church was destroyed in the town fire of 1689, and the current structure mainly dates to the late 19th century rebuild and restoration. There are some traces of earlier medieval features, including a 13th century lancet window at the west end of the south aisle, and two medieval doorways on the north and side sides. The tower has 3 stages, the 2 lower are 14th century with flint and stone rubble walling and stone dressings, and the upper is 17th century, probably 1694, of red brickwork. There is a large clock dial of 1811 facing the town. Above the west doorway is a re-set stone sculpture of the crucifixion, possibly 13th century or earlier in date.

Graffiti Summary

Each photo below is linked to a larger version; to see the larger version it may be necessary to allow 'pop-ups'.

The tower

The main piece of graffiti found in the tower was on the west jamb of the north window in the ringing chamber. This consisted of at least five intersecting compass-drawn circles, now almost obscured by many layers of paint and limewash. Although not graffiti as such, the survey also recorded the fine examples of carpenters’ marks which are on the exposed main timbers in the ringing chamber. Timber buildings were first constructed off site, in a framing yard where the carpenters could assemble the wall-frames and roof trusses by laying them out flat on the ground and pegging them together temporarily. Then they would mark up and number the frames and trusses before dismantling them for transport to the construction site. The numbers ensured that the right tenons went into the right mortises for an accurate fit. They were always positioned next to a joint with the same number in Roman numerals marking both joining timbers. The marks used on the joints between the upright posts and the braces in each corner of the chamber are of 3 and 4 lines. Four is always denoted by IIII to avoid any confusion with six, VI. The structure in the NE corner has marks on all 4 surfaces. (Photo 2)

Carpenters' marks

Photo 2: Carpenters' marks in the ringing chamber;

In the upper bell chamber the only graffiti noted was on the wooden clock case, including pencil-written instructions for the working of the clock. Some wooden panels from an earlier clock case have been preserved, because they record the recruitment of “eight young ringers to fill up the gaps left by those who joined the colours in the great war against Germany in 1914”. Their first peal was rung on Feb 8th, 1916 (Photo 3).

Notes on recruitment of new ringers during World War 1 

Photo 3: Record of new ringers recruited to fill gaps during World War 1.

Church Interior

There is only one area within the main body of the church where historical graffiti was found. This is on the north side of the entrance archway into the nave from the tower. The pilaster here has pairs of initials, crosses and the date 1708 incised into it. The form of lettering of the initials is typical of 18th century, for example W is shown as intersecting Vs. These pairs of initials include IW, IM, WN, CL and TA (Photo 4). The form of the number eight in the date 1708 is also of interest, being an English variant of the numeral, with a flattened horizontal top).

Initials on the north side of the entrance archway 

Photo 4: Initials on the pilaster.

There is a group of deeply carved graffiti on the wall to the north of the old vestry, partly obscured by pipework. This consists of initials DB and BM on each side of an unidentifiable shape (Photo 5).

Initials on wall to north of the old vestry  

Photo 5: Initials and unidentified shape

The Church Exterior

There is an interesting group of graffiti around the exterior of the blocked north doorway in the north aisle. This consists of dates, which are all from the early 18th century, and sets of initials, some boxed. On the west side of the door is a more elaborate box shape, containing the (very worn) initials WH, with a triangular roof-like top surmounted by a cross (Photo 6). Such forms are well known in Hampshire churches, and there is a good parallel at Romsey Abbey. It is thought that some of these more elaborate sets of initials may represent memorials to people who could not afford an expensive monument or tomb within the church, (Champion, 2018).

Box shape with initials

Photo 6: Box shape with WH and a triangular roof

Acknowledgements

Our thanks go to Penny Forbes for organizing our visit, and apologies to all the church members we disrupted while they were preparing the church for the Angel Festival. I am grateful to Tony Stirling for confirming the continued use of pennies for altering the tower clock. Special thanks to Elizabeth Johnson who took us up into the tower and provided us with valuable information about the history of the church and the bells and showed us the First World War graffiti about the bell ringers.

Survey Archive

97 photographs were taken during the survey. All images and record sheets are held by the Hampshire Field Club Medieval Graffiti Project archive and are available on request. A copy of this report has been lodged with the Hampshire Historic Environment Record and with the church, and the report has been posted on the HFC website.

Disclaimer

This document has been prepared for the titled project or named part hereof and should not be relied upon or used for any other project or assessment without the permission of the Hampshire Medieval Graffiti Project or the church.

The full report is available as a PDF download.

Surveyors: Mark Barden, Ron Brading, Sarah Gould, Karen Parker, Joe Peshall, Karen Wardley.

Contact
Any questions about the web site?
Then email Webmaster