Church Of Saint Nicholas

Church of Saint Nicholas

This is a cruciform church of considerable architectural importance, with its main structure dating from around 1140. The building comprises a six-bay nave, two-bay transepts on both north and south sides, a central crossing tower of three stages, a three-bay chancel, and a north vestry. The nave and transepts, together with the lower part of the crossing tower, are 12th-century work. The belfry stage of the crossing tower was added in the early 13th century, while the chancel and north vestry date from the 15th century. The church is built in ashlar with a slate roof.

The nave features a low chamfered plinth and pilaster buttresses separated by a double-chamfered sill band. Each of the four bays on the south side contains a round-headed window of two square orders. The second bay projects slightly forward and contains a notable round-headed door of four orders set on nook-shafts. These nook-shafts carry scallop capitals with volutes to the east and scallop capitals with trails to the west. Paired attached shafts flank the door reveals, decorated with masks and trails rising to imposts. The outer order of the arch is square; the second order features cable moulding; the third order has roll and quirk; and the fourth order displays chevron decoration. The arch soffit is ornamented with four rolls. The nook-shafts, particularly on the east side, are covered with a large number of incised crosses. Above the door sits a vesica of three orders containing a particularly fine Christ in Majesty figure. The outer order is roll moulding, the middle order chevrons, and the inner order guilloche.

The north wall of the nave has similar fenestration and a north door of four orders on nook-shafts, the outer and inner orders being square while the two central orders feature chevrons. The soffit carries a double roll. A carved corbel-table with numerous grotesque faces and beasts runs around both transepts. The west wall of the nave contains a four-light pointed window with Perpendicular tracery beneath a hoodmould. The gable is raised and coped with a flory cross finial.

The south transept displays similar details of plinth, pilaster buttresses, and sill bands. An advanced south door to the west end of the south gable is of four orders on nook-shafts with scallop capitals decorated with trails and volutes carrying quirk-and-chamfer imposts. The orders of the arch feature chevron decoration and a roll to the soffit. The door itself is boarded and fitted with long wrought-iron strap-hinges decorated with incised chevrons. Above the sill band are three stepped lancets beneath a pointed hoodmould. A double-chamfered eaves band runs across the wall. An oculus of two orders sits in the gable, with the outer order featuring chevrons and the inner order being square. The gable is raised and coped with a Celtic cross finial. The west wall of the south transept contains a single round-headed window of two square orders above the sill band. The east wall has a three-light round-headed window with Perpendicular tracery under a hoodmould.

The north transept is very similar to the south transept, with the addition of a mid-wall buttress to the north gable. To the west of this buttress is a round-headed door of two orders of chevrons on nook-shafts with scallop capitals. The arch soffit carries a roll. To the east of the mid-wall buttress is a round-headed window of two square orders. The gable contains an oculus matching that in the south transept. It has a raised coped gable and Celtic cross finial.

The central crossing tower has twin chamfered lancets to each face of the belfry stage. A double-chamfered string runs above these, topped by a crenellated parapet with crocketed finials. To the north-west corner is a projecting square stair turret fitted with slit windows.

The chancel dates from the 15th century and features a high chamfered plinth with offset buttresses. Three four-centred windows with Perpendicular tracery sit beneath hoodmoulds along the sides. The east wall has a two-light four-centred window with Perpendicular tracery under a hoodmould. The chancel is finished with a raised coped gable and cross finial.

Interior

The interior reveals four round-headed crossing arches, all of two orders rising from attached shafts with scallop capitals. Paired rolls decorate the soffits. The west arch displays two orders of chevrons to the west and a square order to the east. The east arch repeats this arrangement. The transept arches are of square orders. The east walls of both the north and south transepts each contain a round-headed opening, now filled with Perpendicular tracery, leading to a former apse. These openings feature chevrons on a quirk-and-chamfer impost band with scallop capitals to nook-shafts.

The chancel contains a cusped ogee-headed niche to the north of the east window and a similar piscina to the south wall. A 12th-century tub font with foliage bands is supported on eight clustered columns. A monument to William Gill, who died in 1723, is notable for its large cartouche.