St John the Baptist's Church, Tunstall

The church is built in sandstone rubble with a slate roof. Its plan consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel under a continuous roof, north and south aisles, and a two-storey south porch. The tower has diagonal buttresses and an embattled parapet. Above each of the small bell openings is a carved tablet of an angel holding a shield. The west door has a pointed head above which is a three-light window with Perpendicular tracery. The aisles have embattled parapets, as does the porch. Above the door of the porch is a niche with a sundial plate and above that a small one-light window.[2]

Internally the responds of the north arcade have early 13th-century capitals and the west lancet windows of the north aisle are probably also from this century.[4] Dating from the 1907 restoration are the roof,[2] and the chancel screen.[3] A Roman votive stone, thought to be linked to Over Burrow Roman Fort, has been built into the surround of a window in the north aisle.[7] At the east end of the south aisle is a chapel known as the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. In the chapel is a mutilated effigy which is said to be of Sir Thomas Tunstal.[3] Under the tower arch is an 18th-century oval marble font on sandstone baluster base.[2] The east window contains glass from the Netherlands dating from the late 15th and the 16th centuries.[4] It was donated to the church in 1810 by Richard Toulmin North of nearby Thurland Castle. In the south wall is stained glass dated 1979 by Jane Gray.[3] In the church are a number of memorials to the Fenwick family.[2] The two-manual organ was built in 1923 by Harrison and Harrison.[8]

The church also owns a 16th-century painting by Francesco Montemezzano. It was probably donated to the church in the early 19th century by Frederick Needham (the church's vicar from 1810 to 1816), who was a half-brother of the church's patron, Richard Toulmin North of Thurland Castle.[9] The painting was removed for restoration in connection with a BBC television programme discussed below. The painting is now back in the church and can be visited any time the church is open, usually 09:30 – 16:00 seven days a week. There is information about the painting, and copies of it for sale, in the church.