Church Of St Nicholas

This parish church incorporates 12th-century sections within the nave arcades, with 13th-century arches and south piers. The chancel arch, north chancel arcade, and chancel south wall are also 13th century. The tower, aisles, clerestory, porches, and north transeptal chapel date from the 14th to 15th centuries. The east end of the chancel and adjoining chapel were rebuilt around 1746.

The building underwent extensive restorations in 1825–7, which included rebuilding the north chapel and north aisle, moving the south porch, and repairing the transept, south aisle, and clerestory windows. The chancel was rebuilt in 1853–4. The tower arch was re-opened in 1865. Between 1895 and 1903, H A Prothero carried out further restorations including reflooring, reseating, and repairs to the nave arcades. Unsympathetic repairs were made around 1986.

The church is faced throughout in limestone ashlar, except for some squared sandstone to the south chancel wall and limestone and mudstone rubble to the north chapel north wall, which has cement rendering. The roofs are lead-covered. The plan consists of a west tower with a five-bay south aisle, four-bay north aisle with transeptal chapel (now vestry), north and south porches, and a three-bay chancel with three-bay north chapel and sacristy adjoining the north side. A moulded plinth runs along the tower, aisles, and north transept, while a chamfered plinth features on the chancel, north chapel, sacristy, and north porch.

Tower

The four-stage tower has angle buttresses with moulded offsets rising to diagonal buttresses at the belfry stage. Moulded string courses separate the stages, and stair lighting slits punctuate the south-west angle. The low first stage contains a pointed west door with wave-and-hollow moulding in two orders, a hoodmould, and worn headstops. The second stage has a pointed three-light west window with moulded reveal, restored Perpendicular tracery, and a hoodmould. The third stage features a pointed chamfered slit light to the south and a clock face to the east. The top stage has pointed three-light Perpendicular-traceried belfry windows with crenellated transoms and incised spandrels, hoodmoulds, and wooden louvres. A moulded string course with gargoyles to the centre of each side sits below a coped embattled parapet with eight crocketed pinnacles.

Aisles

The aisles have diagonal buttresses and buttresses between bays with offsets. Tudor-arched three-light north and south windows have trefoiled lights, restored tracery, hollow reveals, and hoodmoulds; some windows to the north show poor cement repairs from around 1986. Pointed three-light west windows have partly restored Perpendicular tracery, hollow reveals, and hoodmoulds. The south aisle has a partly restored Tudor-arched three-light Perpendicular-traceried east window.

Porches

The south porch has a shallow moulded plinth to the front and a pointed chamfered arch with hoodmould. Above is a tablet inscribed 1827, flanked by tablets bearing worn inscriptions of churchwardens' names (including William Darrand). A coped embattled parapet with three crocketed pinnacles caps the gable. A pair of wrought-iron gates from 1827 features plain bars and dogbars with fleur-de-lys finials, and principals with urn finials. The partly restored pointed inner arch has wave-and-hollow moulding with a studded and panelled oak door, probably early 19th century.

The north porch has a pointed hollow-chamfered outer arch with hoodmould, a pair of wrought-iron gates similar to the south porch, and a partly restored pointed double hollow-chamfered inner arch with hoodmould.

North Transept

The north transept has diagonal buttresses with offsets, a pointed three-light Perpendicular-traceried north window similar to the aisle west windows with restored mullions and hoodmould, and a pointed Tudor-arched three-light west window similar to the aisle windows. The east side has a chamfered flattened ogee-arched door with incised spandrels.

The aisles and transept have moulded string courses and coped parapets.

Clerestory

The clerestory features seven four-centred-arch three-light windows to each side with cinquefoiled lights, incised spandrels, and restored mullions. A moulded string course runs below a coped embattled parapet.

Chancel

The south side of the chancel contains a 13th-century pointed three-light window with intersecting tracery, hoodmould, and single headstop, with a restored sill retaining the original sill string course below. A 19th-century pointed hollow-chamfered door has a hoodmould and wrought-iron gate similar to the porches. A pointed two-light traceried window with hoodmould shows poor 20th-century cement repairs.

The chancel and north chapel east side, built in two phases, has diagonal buttresses and a mid-buttress with offsets. Each side has a pointed four-light Perpendicular-traceried window with hoodmould. A tablet over the chapel window reads: "The Rev J Lamb Vicar W DARRAND W PETTINGER Churchwardens MDCCCXXVI".

The north side of the chapel has a single 15th-century pointed three-light Perpendicular-traceried window with supertransom, hollow reveal, and partly restored mullions.

The clerestory, chancel, and north chapel have a moulded string course and coped embattled parapet.

Sacristy

The sacristy has a square-headed two-light north window with moulded curvilinear tracery, hoodmould, wrought-iron bars, and hinged casement. The four-centred-arch two-light east window has foiled Y-tracery and hoodmould. A moulded string course with central gargoyle to the north sits below a coped parapet. A chimney adjoining the chapel has a crenellated octagonal shaft.

Interior

The nave has a four-bay north arcade and five-bay south arcade of 13th-century pointed double-chamfered arches, with the western bay on both sides separated by a short wall.

The north arcade's east section has 12th-century cylindrical piers with scalloped and foliate capitals, square abaci, moulded bases, and tall restored plinths. The responds have chamfered jambs and an inner order on octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The west bay has heavy octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases.

The south arcade's 13th-century east section has a central octagonal pier and cylindrical piers with octagonal-shaped backs, with moulded capitals and bases on square pedestals (the eastern one with carved corners). The east respond has a corbelled inner order (probably the capital to a former shaft). The west respond has a keeled shaft to the inner order and a 12th-century nook-shaft to the north angle with scalloped capital. The west bay has a similar keeled east respond with 12th-century nook-shaft, and a 14th-century octagonal west respond similar to the north aisle.

A tall pointed double-chamfered tower arch has continuous chamfers, with the inner one featuring crenellated capitals. A large 19th-century carved wooden screen closes the tower. A chamfered basket-arched doorway leads to the tower staircase.

The pointed double-chamfered chancel arch has chamfered jambs and a corbelled inner order. Outlines of the earlier nave roof are clearly visible at the east and west ends.

A pointed double-chamfered arch leads from the north aisle to the transept, with a moulded corbel to the south and a head corbel, perhaps restored, to the north. The transept has a 15th-century pointed double-chamfered east arch to the chapel with continuous outer chamfer and inner order on octagonal responds with crenellated capitals and moulded bases. A partly blocked former door to the rood loft survives.

The chancel has a three-bay north arcade of pointed double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers with plain moulded capitals and bases. The responds have chamfered jambs and corbelled inner orders.

The north chapel contains a chamfered ogee recess to the north with a 15th-century priest effigy.

Roofs and Fittings

The nave has a fine 15th-century ten-bay roof with moulded cranked tie beams, ridge-purlin and single side-purlins, and carved bosses featuring heads, flowers, shields, and other motifs. The north chapel has a six-bay roof with ovolo-moulded cranked tie beams and purlins. The 19th-century chancel roof has corbelled wall posts and carved and painted bosses.

A 15th to 16th-century oak screen to the north transept has moulded posts and rails, containing re-set fielded panels from former 18th-century box pews. A fragment of carved rail from the former chancel screen is attached to the north side.

Monuments include small inscribed brasses in the nave central aisle to Reverend Richard Herring of 1712 and his wife Bridget of 1711; a mid-18th-century floorslab in the north chapel to Juliana Hoole of 1715 with incised scrolled border and round arch; wall tablets in the nave to Richard and Mary Maw of 1816 with obelisk base, pedestal with arms and urn; and to John Taylor of 1835 and Jane Taylor of 1845.

The church contains a fine 15th-century octagonal font with trefoiled panels to bowl and shaft, a 19th-century ashlar pulpit, and 19th-century commandment tablets in the sanctuary within ornate Gothic-style ashlar surrounds.

A drawing by Nattes shows the south porch in the centre of the south aisle, from where it was presumably moved in the 19th century.