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Despite being in the middle of quite a big village, St John was locked, without any keyholders listed, nor a vicar (the living is vacant at present and it looks like the Diocese intends to keep it that way for a while). This is a pity. I suppose it's fair enough to keep a church locked if you have reason to believe it's in danger from vandalism - though I gather that the main ecclesiastical insurers recommend that churches are kept open. If you have to, though, the least that can be done is listing a few keyholders: at least this way people who are interested can get inside (even if grotty twenty-somethings like myself have to endure suspicious looks in the process). Grr.
It was particularly irritating here. Inside a very elegantly traceried wooden porch is a splendid Norman doorway. In the tympanum are ten little round arches with figures in them, facing towards a single figure in the central arch. It's very crude, but all the more exciting for that - reminiscent of Norse work, if anything. Pevsner gives the impression that this doorway is the only interesting thing about the church, but I would still have liked to see inside.
St John was locked, with no keyholders listed.