History
The earliest part of the church is the tower, dating from the twelfth century; the remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1888.
Set into the south wall is a sundial, inscribed 'J. Aston, Church Warden'. Inside are memorials to the Wedgwood family.
The church was closed in 1980 after subsidence caused cracks in the masonry.
"Just south of the city is the sandstone church of St. John, Barlaston, which, along with its next door neighbour Barlaston Hall, presents one of the most picturesque architectural duos in the area. The church is in well-kept grounds among a profusion of trees.
The only remaining part of an earlier church is the west tower, which probably dates from the 1200s; the main body was completely rebuilt in 1886-8. On the north side of the tower a very good vestry was added in 1969. There is a beautifully simple and straightforward sundial set into the south wall which, I would imagine, was rescued from some earlier building. It has incised Roman numerals and the inscription, J. Aston, Church Warden.
The earliest reliable mention I could find concerning a church or chapel at Barlaston occurs in a privilege granted by the Pope in 1162 which confirms the status and possessions of Trentham Priory, with the parish church of Trentham and its dependencies heading the priory's possessions; these dependencies included Barlaston, Betley, etc.
Understandably, the canons were careful to protect their major source of income, but, as time went by, many wealthy landowners sought to build new chapels; by the early 13th century, Barlaston, which was part of Trentham parish, had its own chapel in the patronage of the Lord of the Manor.
In 1225 the advowson of this chapel was granted by John fitz Philip, to the canons on the understanding that they maintained a resident chaplain at Barlaston to celebrate divine service, bury the dead, and baptise the children of parishioners."
Neville Malkin 23rd July 1975
An independent trust was established to restore the house, starting with repairs to the roof. However, the NCB reneged on the undertaking it had given at the public inquiry to pay for repairs to past subsidence damage, and for other preventative works, and offered £25,000 compensation under the Coal Act instead. Save applied for judicial review against the NCB and the Secretary of State for the Environment, whose delayed certification was behind the NCB's change of view. The certificates were quickly issued, forcing the hand of the NCB, which eventually agreed to pay £120,000 in compensation, to fund preventative works, and meet the legal costs. Wedgwood also extended the original 5-year restoration period by a further 3 years. Grants from English Heritage, the Historic Buildings Council, the Manifold Trust and a loan from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, allowed the external restoration to be largely completed in the early 1990s. This involved extensive works including inserting a concrete raft under the building to protect against further mining subsidence.
In 1992 Save Britain's Heritage decided to sell the hall before the internal restoration had been started. It was bought by James and Carol Hall who completed the internal restoration over a period of more than five years. This included new internal walls, ceilings, plasterwork and s"Barlaston, a well-built village, with a railway station, is delightfully seated near the summit of a lofty declivity, on the east side of the vale of the Trent, and three miles N of Stone, and five miles SE by S of Newcastle. Its parish contains 591 inhabitants and 2087 acres of enclosed land, with 60 acres of waste.
RT Adderley, Esq, is owner of a great part of the soil, and lord of the manor, which his father obtained in marriage with one of the co-heiresses of the late Thomas Mills, Esq. His residence is Barlaston Hall, a handsome mansion near the north end of the village, commanding an extensive view of Trent Vale.
Barlaston New Hall is the handsome seat of Francis Wedgwood, Esq, late of Etruria.
Dr Ramage, Mrs Morgan, Mrs Aston, and several smaller owners have estates here. Hartwell is an ancient moated house, one mile north, and Parkfield is a hamlet of pleasant houses, on a terrace above the Trent, on the west side of the parish.
Barlaston Church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, stands near the hall, and is a small Gothic structure. It was rebuilt, except the tower, in 1760, and enlarged on the north side in 1830, when a new gallery was erected. The Duke of Sutherland is patron of the perpetual curacy, in the incumbency of the Rev Wm. Oliver."
From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire,
William White, Sheffield, 1851
