Church Of St Nicholas

COTTESMORE

SK 91 SW MAIN STREET (North Side)

7/50 Church of St. Nicholas

14.6.54

GV II*

Church of C12-C15 with S porch of 1851. Coursed squared stone and ashlar, with Collyweston slate, lead and parapetted roofs. Buttresses with set-offs, plinth, ball flower and head frieze to nave and aisles, and stone coped gables. W tower with spire, nave aisles, chancel, N chancel vestry and S porch. C13 Tower of 3 stages with angle buttresses. W window with restored Geometric tracery, clock face and lancet on 2nd stage S side and 1-light on N side, 4 bell openings with bar tracery, and ball flower and head frieze at top. Broach spire with tall broaches, 2 sets of lucarnes, and part gilded weathervane. W arch to nave triple chamfered, the inner dying into polygonal respond. Blank window above and buttress to right. C14 nave arcades, N of 3 bays plus a 4th, and S of 4 bays. Double chamfered arches with hood moulds and lable stops over octagonal piers. Clerestorey probably early C14 (ball flower frieze) though 3 Perp windows. 6 bay low-pitch tie beam roof much restored. Wall pieces and curved braces from wooden corbels. Similar roofs to aisles, the S with open carved spandrels. N aisle has NW, 3 N and NE windows with Perp tracery. N doorway c1300. Chancel arch double chamfered the inner dying into polygonal respond. Chancel walls probably partly C13 (C13 respond showing) but late Perp windows. 1 N with stained glass of c1907, 3 S, one with C19 stained glass and one with roll moulded chamfer. 5-light E window with stained glass of c1890. N chancel vestry of 1855. Chancel roof is 3 bay restored low-pitch tie beam with moulded beams producing square panels. S aisle has Perp windows, SE with stained glass of c1895 and 3 others, one with ball flower decoration and flat topped. On right of S door a small door leads to former staircase to former priest's room over S porch. S porch, now open to roof, of 1851. S doorway is Norman but not in situ. Shafts and arch with zigzag. Font has square base of probably c1200. Reliefs of Christ Crucified and saintly Bishop. C14 or C15 octagonal bowl above. C17 oak pulpit with oval panels on later stone base. E part of N aisle is RAF memorial chapel. White's Leicestershire and Rutland, 1877, and Pevsner.

Listing NGR: SK9024913637