Church Of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

This parish church dates from the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries, with extensive restoration undertaken in the 19th century and between 1904 and 1906. The building is constructed of greenstone ashlar with red brick patching, and has lead roofs.

The church comprises a nave with south and north aisles, a south porch tower, and a chancel. The external walls feature coped gables, with a single ridge cross to the east nave and finial to the west nave. The chancel gable carries a decorative ridge finial and decorative kneelers.

The west nave contains a single 19th-century arched 2-light window with cusped tracery and hood mould. The north aisle's west wall displays a buttress dated 1905. The north wall sits on a chamfered plinth and includes a blocked and part-glazed chamfered arched doorway with hood mould. To the left, set into a former blocked archway, is a single window dated 1585 with three four-centred arched lights with recessed panelled spandrels under a flat arch. To the right are traces of a former single opening and evidence of another window opening higher up. Further left are remains of a 14th-century window opening with a single ogee arched light under a flat arch, and a worn 14th-century ogee arched piscina. The east wall of the north aisle features a single 14th-century arched 3-light window with flowing tracery and hood mould.

The chancel sits on a moulded plinth. Its north wall contains a small 13th-century pointed arched window with two trefoil arched lights and a single quatrefoil over, above which is a 14th-century window with two arched and cusped lights under a flat arch. A similar window stands to the left. Above these, in the 20th-century clerestorey, are three windows each with three cinquefoil ogee arched lights under a flat arch. To the left is a single panel with blind cusped tracery. Flanking the windows and panel are single cavetto moulded strips supported on decorative corbels. The east chancel, dated 1905, has a single arched 4-light window with flowing tracery, hood mould, label stops and finial, with a continuous sill band. On either side are single similar panels each flanked by single cavetto strips supported on decorative corbels.

The south chancel wall displays a single pointed segmental arched 3-light 14th-century window with cusped panel tracery. To its left is a moulded 4-centred arched doorway with blind traceried spandrels under a flat arch. Further left stands another similar 3-light window. The clerestorey on the south corresponds to that on the north. The south aisle sits on a chamfered plinth. Its east wall contains a single 14th-century arched 3-light window with flowing tracery and hood mould. The south wall has two 19th-century windows, each with cusped tracery under a flat arch—the one on the right with 2 lights and that on the left with 3 lights.

The south porch tower stands to the left, set on a chamfered plinth with moulded bands above. It comprises three stages with bands and brick embattlements. The south side features a moulded arched entrance. Above is a single 16th-century window with two arched lights under a flat arch. The south bell chamber opening contains two arched and cusped lights with cusped tracery under a flat arch; the east side has a single pair of 13th-century pointed arched lights, and the west side has two lights under a flat arch. The porch interior contains a 14th-century quadripartite vault with a human head boss. Each side wall displays two bays of 14th-century blind arcading. A double chamfered arched inner doorway leads inward. To the left is a single 19th-century window with two arched and cusped lights and cusped tracery under a flat arch.

The interior features four-bay 14th-century nave arcades with octagonal columns on high bases and earlier plinths, with moulded capitals. The responds consist of corbels supporting moulded capitals. A double chamfered chancel arch, with the inner order supported on octagonal responds, divides the chancel. A restored 14th-century screen with mouchettes and cusped panel tracery stands across the chancel; further fragments of restored 14th-century screens divide the vestry, north organ, and south chantry chapel. A 14th-century ogee arched doorway provides access to the tower stairs.

The south and north walls of the chancel contain low 13th-century pointed arched 2-light windows with cusped tracery. The south side is now blocked; the north side retains shutters. The north wall features a low piscina with an open trefoil arch, and a further piscina with a reredos composed of 14th-century fragments including three carved half figures holding objects. The reredos displays crocketed canopies with two trefoil arches above under a continuous hood mould with human head label stops, further decorated with naturalistic flowers, foliate work, and diaper bands.

The south aisle's south wall contains a 14th-century trefoil arched piscina. To the left of the doorway is a blocked stoup. The north wall features an aumbry and blocked windows, door and a 14th-century arcade opening that formerly led to a chantry demolished in the 16th century. One window is now partially blocked with a painted inscription. Remains of some 15th-century bench ends with carved poppy heads survive. A heavily restored font has its pedestal and bowl decorated with cusped tracery and further decoration to the bowl of carved heads and foliate work. A decorative 19th-century pulpit is present. Four boards inscribed with biblical texts and dated 1819 are displayed. The south aisle contains a 14th-century floor slab to Sir Robert Sylkestone, decorated with an incised stylised cross.