St John, Duxford Green

Declared redundant as early as 1874, St John's is now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Its interior is wonderfully unrestored, and illustrates what many churches would have looked like before the wave of Victorian rebuilding.

The church has rustic charm before you even enter, with a nave, tower, chancel, north aisle and north chapel, all constructed in a mellow mixture of local stone, tiles, bricks and rubble. The body of the church is essentially Norman of c.1100, clearly visible in the simple east and west arches of the tower and south door. This is surmounted by a tympanum containing a rosette in the middle of a cross - some experts believe this typically Anglo-Saxon motif may predate the rest of the building. 

The chancel was lengthened early in the 13th Century and the tower was heightened in 1280. Around 1330 the north chapel was added, and has marvellous Decorated tracery, including a splendid east window flanked by two wonderfully elaborate niches. The north aisle and its arcade are mid-15th Century, as are the porch and nave windows; the east chancel window dates from a rebuilding during the late 17th or early 18th Century.

So much for the architecture: the real treasure here is the atmosphere, derived in part from the floor - a hodge-podge of tile, brick and stone; partly from the flaking creamy whitewash, which abounds in traces of wall painting; and partly the exposed mediaeval woodwork in the roofs. The paintings are slowly being uncovered and conserved, and date from 12th Century onwards. The earliest are those on the Norman tower arches, and include the Lamb of God flanked by Angels. The chancel wall has fragmentary paintings on the life of Christ, including the appearance of the Angel to the Shepherds. 

There are several tiers of 13th-century paintings on the west wall of the chancel. These include two devils with a wheel - possibly part of a Doom cycle. Beneath are scenes of the Crucifixion: a soldier piercing the breast of Christ; Joseph of Arimathea asking Pilate for the Body of Christ; the removal of Christ’s body from the Cross; and the Tomb with sleeping soldiers. More gruesomely, to the right of the arch is the story of St Barbara, strung up by her hair, with soldiers piercing her breasts. There are 15th century paintings in the north aisle, including robed Bishops, two figures which may show Christ with the Coronation of the Virgin; and the remains of a "Christ of the Trades" (showing how the tools of different trades inflicted further wounds on Christ, if used on the Sabbath).

The furnishings are entirely in harmony with the rest of the church. There is a 13th Century font; 14th and 15th Century mediaeval benches; a 17th century pulpit and communion rail, and a row of 18th Century hat pegs. (The north chapel was used as a school room from the mid 17th century until 1847.) Finally the east nave wall has a set of 18th boards with the Creed, Commandments, and Lord's Prayer.

A visit will easily the repay the effort of searching it out.

St John, Green St, Duxford CB22 4RG