Church of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

A village church containing some medieval fabric but substantially rebuilt after 1858 by architect Charles Ainslie. The building is constructed of mottled sandstone with rubble walling to the medieval south flank, brought to course in the 19th-century construction. Ashlar dressings are used throughout and the roof is of plain tiles.

The church follows a plan with a nave featuring a porch at its south-western end and a three-bay northern aisle. The chancel, with a lower ridge line, has a vestry on its southern side. A projecting plinth runs the length of the entire building.

The south face is dominated by a gabled porch positioned left of centre, featuring an arched portal with a double-chamfered arch and radiating voussoirs, kneelers at either side, and ashlar coping. Behind and to the right of the porch is medieval rubble stonework. A two-light 19th-century window to the right of the porch sits higher than the original opening, with a patch visible in the old fabric below it. A further two-light window to the right is set in 19th-century walling, as is a single lancet to the left of the porch. A 19th-century corbel table crowns the wall top. The projecting vestry on the right has a catslide roof above an arched plank door. The south face of the chancel is blank.

The east face of the chancel displays three stepped lancets with a continuous hoodmould. The north aisle's gable end projects at right with paired lancets.

The west front features a two-light window with quatrefoil head centred on the nave. Above it stands an ashlar bellcote with columns to all four sides, an octagonal cap with lucarnes and a metal weather vane as finial. The north aisle's recessed end at left is gabled with a single lancet.

The north flank of the aisle contains three paired lancets, while the chancel has a single lancet on this side.

The interior nave arcade has columns of circular section with heavy, angled caps and double-chamfered arches. The nave roof comprises exposed common rafters with ties, angled struts and ashlar pieces; the aisle roof is similarly constructed. The chancel roof has common rafters with scissor braces. The chancel features encaustic tiles to the lower eastern walls and sides, with mosaic flooring and variegated marble steps. The pulpit is octagonal, accessed by a spiral stair turning a quarter circle. The font has a circular bowl with incised, coloured lettering, standing on a square base with clustered columns.

The stained glass includes a notable east window showing the Resurrected Christ, dated 1887 by Clayton and Bell, and two nave windows and south aisle window by Hemming of around 1890. A western war memorial window by Hardman dates to 1919. Shaped metal plaques painted with biblical texts are fixed above the chancel arch and above and below most windows; these were made by Mrs Purton, wife of a vicar, in the later 19th century. Various wall monuments from the earlier church, dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries, have been retained.