Church of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

An Anglican church in Early English style, built 1864-68 to the designs of G E Street, the leading mid-19th century architect and Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy. The church stands on Windy Arbor Road in Whiston (originally called Tarbock Road), on a site purchased and donated by Rev. Ellis Ashton, vicar of Huyton. The foundation stone was laid in 1864 by Daniel Willis Esq., a member of a prominent local family. The church was consecrated on 30 July 1868, with Rev. E.S. Meade as its first vicar (1868-73).

The building is constructed of coursed rubble sandstone with red sandstone dressings and slate roofs. The plan comprises a clerestoried nave with lean-to four-bay north and south aisles, a chancel with lower roof, a south-east Lady Chapel set back from the east wall of the chancel with its own separate east-west roof, a north-east organ chamber with lean-to roof, and a west vestry with flat roof and gabled buttresses. An early 1980s extension was added to the south side. The most prominent external feature is a three-stage south-west tower, incompletely finished and almost detached, with set-back buttresses, a semi-circular stair turret with conical roof to its east wall, a plain parapet with capped lead roof, and large two-light paired arched belfry windows.

The nave has four bays with two-light clerestory windows, each containing a roundel in the head and cross finials to the roof. The west end displays a pair of tall arched cusped two-light lancets with a rose window above. The north and south aisles each have four cusped triple lancet windows under arches; the west bay of the south aisle was converted into a doorway leading into the 1980s extension. The aisles also feature double lancets to their west walls. A trefoil-headed doorway opens from the east bay of the north aisle. The chancel is distinguished by short angle buttresses and contains a three-light traceried east window and a triple lancet north window.

The south-east Lady Chapel has a pair of lancets with roundels in its east gable and three lancet windows to the south side. The north-east organ chamber has a short double lancet window with roundel above on its east wall. The west vestry is topped by a parapet rising in the centre with a shield motif, and is lit by a five-light square-headed west window; an arched south doorway with hoodmould provides entry. The south-west tower features a semi-circular stair turret with conical roof, a large two-light paired arched belfry window, an arched two-light west window with roundel at the first stage, a tall slender round-headed east window at the first stage, small pentfoil and cusped windows at various stages, and a triple-chamfered arched porch with a south doorway (originally open, now with door). Behind this porch stands a multi-chamfered arched doorway with dogtooth decoration, marking the original entrance.

The interior displays unplastered rock-faced masonry walls and encaustic tiled floors (some covered by carpet). The nave arcades comprise four bays with cylindrical piers and moulded capitals. A moulded chancel arch sits on short shafts. The east window depicts the Crucifixion by Clayton and Bell. A painted reredos, installed around 1876-7, features a coved, crested timber frame. The east wall on each side is decorated with carved blind arcading and patterned 'Garrett' wall tiles below. The sanctuary floor contains black and white tiles with a memorial date of 1923. A two-bay arcade with traceried arches divides the south-east Lady Chapel from the chancel.

The choir stalls feature fleur-de-lys finials and arcaded frontals. A low coped stone chancel screen incorporates an integral stone drum pulpit of pierced stonework. The Lady Chapel contains an organ by Henry Willis & Sons, originally positioned in the north-east organ chamber. Its east window, depicting angelic musicians, is by William Morris, and the south windows are also by Morris & Co. A font at the rear of the nave has a quatrefoil bowl on polychromatic stone shafts. The nave benches have convex shoulders; rear pews have been removed. Low timber and glass screens were installed across the middle of the nave and side aisles in the early 1980s, with a similar screen at the Lady Chapel entrance. A shallow arched doorway at the west end of the nave opens into the vestry, which contains original fitted cupboards. The west rose window is by Burne-Jones, with lancets below by Morris & Co.

Originally, the tower was designed to include a crenellated parapet and spire, as shown in plans by G.F. Bodley (retained in the church), but these were never constructed due to concerns over mineshafts in the area and the potential weight of a spire.

The Incorporated Society for Buildings & Churches donated £250 towards the cost of the church in 1863, on condition that many seats were reserved for the poor of the parish.