The church of St. John the Baptist is a beautiful small flint, stone, and brick structure, with a round tower containing two bells.

This lovely church lies in the fields, close by the ancient site of Onehouse Hall. There was a church in Saxon times, as recorded in the Domesday Book, but the present church is thought to have started its life during the great Norman build and rebuild period following the Conquest. Archaeologists now date the present building as 14th Century.

The nave was built first, although it was lower and possibly slightly shorter than it appears today Outside it is possible to see quite clearly the differences in colour of the layers of mortar, together with the courses of flints and their construction lines. Embedded in the wall either side of the north door are two wooden 'putlock lids' used by the Normans for supporting the scaffolding while building. The nave was heightened during the 16th/17th century and the small lancet window included up high.

The tower was added to the nave a little later and over a period, 18 inches at a time during the summer and then allowed to settle during the winter. It has received much repair work during the centuries, right up to the 1980s. Finally, in the 1990s it was reduced to one-third and then rebuilt to two-thirds(of its original height); the two bells (1604 and 1673) were rehung and are now rung before services. It is possible that the tower window comprises fragments of glass from a former east window, but this is still being researched. The tower bell lancets were cut from former 12th/13th Century decorated tombs.

The chancel and sanctuary were rebuilt at the end of the last century under the direction of the Norwich architect, Herbert Green (1893) who also carried out work at Stowmarket (1885) and Combs (1887). Some of the original stonework has been embedded in the outer walls, and cuts in some of the limestones relate to their former use. The stained glass windows were painted by Lucy Marriott, the wife of a former Curate..

The porch is a Tudor addition and has always been thought to commemorate the visit to the parish of Queen Elizabeth 1 when she took breakfast at Onehouse Hall. However, one historian is now questioning the fact that she ever came to Onehouse, so here again more research is needed. The footings are very shallow, being only one brick deep.

The pews came into the church between the two World Wars; prior to that there were rush seats. At the rear of the church is one older pew with a strange web-footed creature forming the armrest. Its head is turned over its shoulder. The choirstalls have been repositioned in order to provide a greater area in the chancel and the sanctuary extended so that the altar could be brought forward, allowing the priest to face the congregation during Communion.

The red altar kneelers were made some years ago by the Women's Guild, and since then members of the congregation have provided hassocks in toning colour which gives a lovely warm atmosphere to the interior.   The red carpet was laid in memory of Horace Buckle, a stalwart of the church who lived at I Star Cottages.  The reredos was donated by the local Guides in 1931.   The font is Norman or even earlier, unevenly placed on a later plinth.

Two former incumbents are buried in the church and several more in the churchyard. Records show that over 500 people have been buried at Onehouse since 1813. The graveyard was extended early this century.

Pauline Llewellyn 1999

The parish of Onehouse forms part of a Benefice of five parishes - the others being Great Finborough, Harleston, Buxhall, and Shelland. There is an active church community which is responsible for many of the clubs operating from the Church Room, which serves as a central meeting point for many groups within the Benefice.

In addition to the incumbent, the parish is served by three Readers and three Elders, and we also have a priest in training.