Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a parish church constructed and modified between the 12th and 15th centuries, with significant later alterations. The chancel was rebuilt around 1495 by Gunthorpe, the clerestory dates to 1473, and the chapel was restored and widened in the 18th century. Further restorations took place in 1811, 1879, and 1893. The church is built of ashlar stone and comprises a tower with spire, nave, aisles, north and south porches, north mortuary chapel, north vestry, south east rood turret, and chancel. A single 20th-century stack serves the east vestry.

Exterior

All parts of the church except the chancel and vestry have embattled parapets. The east chancel has a coped parapet with a single decorative ridge cross finial. The building is buttressed throughout.

The early 14th-century tower of two stages is diagonally buttressed and set on a plinth, topped by a late 14th-century broached spire with two gargoyles on the south and north sides. The west side features a worn chamfered arched doorway with a double 18th-century wooden panelled door, traceried fanlight, hood mould, and worn label stops. Above this is a single arched and cusped light with hood mould and human head label stops. The four bell chamber openings each have a single large arched and cusped light with hood mould. Below on the south side is a single clock face. The west side has three rectangular stair lights. The spire has four lucarnes, each consisting of a single arched and cusped light with hood mould and single cross finial.

The west wall of the north aisle has a single restored 15th-century arched window with three arched and cusped lights, hood mould, and label stops. To the right are quoins denoting an earlier build. The north wall, which has a single gargoyle and remains of a further gargoyle west of the porch, is set on a plinth with a band running over and features a single similar window and hood mould. The gabled porch has single crocketed finials at the angles and remains of a single ridge finial. It features a restored double chamfered arched entrance with hood mould and large label stops, and an inner chamfered arched doorway. Set into the east wall is a 14th-century demi-effigy of a priest in a quatrefoil surround with worn sacramental emblems below. Left of the porch are two similar three-light windows with hood moulds. The clerestory has two gargoyles and four similar three-light windows with continuous hood mould.

To the left is the mortuary chapel of the White family, set on a plinth with single 15th-century gargoyles on the east and west sides. The north wall has two windows, each comprising three arched lights. To the left, in the vestry, is a single gargoyle and a single restored 15th-century window with three arched lights, panel tracery, hood mould, and human head label stops. A continuous sill band runs underneath.

The east vestry wall is set on a plinth with a heavily moulded band over, extending to the east and south chancel. There is a 19th-century moulded arched doorway with hood mould and human head label stops. Above is a single square light with lead lozenge glazing bars. The east chancel has a single arched window with five arched lights, panel tracery, hood mould, human head label stops, and continuous sill band. The south chancel has four gargoyles and a continuous sill band broken by the buttresses. There are four 15th-century arched windows, each with three arched lights, panel tracery, hood mould, and remains of human head label stops. Under the second window from the left is a moulded arched doorway with incised decoration in the spandrel and a 17th-century panelled door.

The east wall of the south aisle has a single restored arched window with three arched and cusped lights, hood mould, and human head label stops. There is a continuous sill band which drops down at the left and continues around to the south wall, dropping down under the windows and terminating at the porch. The south wall with single gargoyle has two similar three-light windows and hood moulds. To the left is the gabled porch which has single crocketed finials at the angles and single ridge cross, set on a plinth. The single buttresses to the east and west accommodate single large rectangular niches with moulded surrounds—the right niche with a cross, the left with carved remains. The restored pointed arched entrance has remains of responds with fillets and a double wood and glass traceried door. The inner moulded pointed arched doorway has a panelled door inscribed "Ed Marshall Tho Pickering Church Wardens 1708" and continuous hood mould. The east and west walls each have single iron brackets. The bay to the left of the porch is set on a plinth and has a single 15th-century arched window with three arched and cusped lights, hood mould, and label stops. In the west wall is a single similar restored window. To the left are quoins denoting an earlier build.

The clerestory has single carved shields on three of the merlons, remains of three gargoyles, and four arched windows, each with three arched and cusped lights and continuous hood mould.

Interior

The nave has four-bay arcades with double chamfered arches. The 13th-century north arcade has round columns and responds with moulded capitals. The early 14th-century south arcade has octagonal columns, keeled responds, and moulded capitals. On the nave sides are hood moulds, each with three human head label stops. There is a tall narrow triple chamfered tower arch. The 13th-century double chamfered chancel arch has a hood mould, with the inner chamfer supported on circular responds and moulded capitals. The north chancel/north chapel has a late 13th-century two-bay arcade with double chamfered arches supported on an octagonal column and responds with moulded capitals, now blocked by the organ and iron screen. The north aisle/north chapel has a double chamfered arch and iron screen. The north wall of the south aisle has some 12th-century herringbone masonry.

In the chancel south wall is an ogee arched piscina, and in the north wall a chamfered arched doorway to the vestry with an 18th-century panelled door. In the south aisle east wall is a restored niche with cusped and sub-cusped ogee arch over and crocketed finials, containing a crude carved effigy of St Lawrence. To the right is a human head carved corbel supporting the remains of a 14th-century seated figure, and to the left, leading to the rood stair, is a small doorway with panelled door. In the south wall is an ogee arched piscina with hood mould. In the nave is a blocked rood loft opening in the north wall. There is an arched stoup next to the north door, and to the right a human head corbel supporting a reset capital with arched niche over. In the east wall of the chapel is an arched piscina, and in the south wall of the vestry the remains of an ogee arched niche now containing an earlier 13th-century memorial decorated with a stylised cross.

The 19th-century chancel roof is supported on corbels. The 15th-century nave roof is supported on grotesque head corbels and carved wooden angels, with many decorative foliate bosses. There is a restored 15th-century chancel screen with elaborate tracery.

Furnishings

The ashlar font is dated 1662 and has a fine and elaborate conical cover. Suspended from the roof is a similarly fine and elaborate canopy dated 1673. The elaborately carved pulpit dates to around 1876. There is the base of a 17th-century altar table and an early 19th-century altar table. An 18th-century cupboard in the vestry was probably converted from a pulpit. There are four low 17th-century trestles, two 17th-century chests, two chairs with elaborately carved backs, a tower screen, and remaining 20th-century furnishings. The south east aisle window contains a late 15th-century figure of St Lawrence. In the chapel are two large hatchments.

Monuments

On the south wall of the north aisle is a tablet to William and Ann Sellers, 1790, and on the north wall a damaged memorial to William Dobson, 1673, with foliate decoration around the inscription topped with an angel's head under a segmental arch. The south aisle has a monument to Margaret Bayston, 1753, by Ant. Ince, topped with a broken segmental arch with angel head. There is a further monument to Mary, Mary, and Robert Allwood, 1811, surmounted by a broken pediment with urn. In the south chancel is a tablet to Walter Taylor, 1743.

In the north chapel, set into the wall, is a good alabaster monument to Sir John and Dorothea White, 1625, consisting of two recumbent figures of a gentleman and lady in Jacobean dress, the former lying within the arched recess and the latter below and without. On the back wall within the recess are two black marble tablets plus inscriptions, and the side walls are decorated with a helmet, sword, and shield. Above the tablets are carved skulls, angel's head, and other decoration. Flanking the recess are single Corinthian columns surmounted by finials. Topping the arch is the family crest. There is a further monument to Charles Lawrence White, 1814, consisting of a tablet supported on two decorative corbels and surmounted by a further tablet, the crown being decorated with a rustic cross, the trappings of battle, and an eagle, topped with an urn.

In an arched tomb recess is a recumbent 14th-century knight with crossed legs and feet resting on dogs. There is a further 14th-century recumbent alabaster figure of a lady with feet resting on dogs and a 14th-century floor slab with a shallow carved figure of a knight and heraldic shields. There are several 17th and 18th-century floor slabs.