Church Of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

A church of mixed dates standing on Church Street in Alcester. The tower dates from the 13th century below and 15th century above. The nave and aisles were rebuilt in 1729-1730 by the local builders Edward and Thomas Woodward. The chancel, north and south chapels, window tracery and internal restoration date from 1870 and were carried out by the architect Preedy.

The tower is constructed of lias ashlar with a yellow limestone parapet and is much weathered. The aisles, chancel and chapels are built of limestone ashlar, with the aisles extensively patched and re-faced. The chancel and chapel roofs are of tile with coped gables. The nave and aisle roofs are not visible from outside.

The church comprises a nave and aisles with five bays, a three-bay chancel, north and south chapels, and a west tower. The Perpendicular west door to the tower has moulded jambs and a four-centred arch under a square head, with blank shields in the spandrels. This is fronted by 18th-century double-leaf panelled doors. The tower has setback west buttresses and a semi-octagonal stair turret on the south aisle with a small arched door. Moulded string courses mark the springing of the west window arch and the bell stage. A cornice and parapet, probably of the 18th century, is ornamented with pinnacles at the corners and centre of each side.

The three-light Decorated west window above the door has flowing tracery. The third stage of the tower has lancets on the west and south sides and a slit window on the north. The two-light bell openings have much renewed reticulated tracery.

The aisles have a moulded plinth, possibly of the 15th century. The Gothick west doorways have double-leaf panelled doors. Diagonal buttresses and buttresses between each bay are topped with 18th-century Gothic panelled pinnacles. The parapet is crenellated, dating from around 1870. Five three-light windows with four-centred heads and hood moulds light the aisles, with tracery of two alternating designs.

The 13th-century style chancel and chapels have angle buttresses with two offsets. The chancel has a moulded plinth. A five-light east window with hood mould continued across as a string course lights the chancel. Single trefoiled lancets to the north and south complete the chancel lighting. The chapels have north and south gables respectively, each with a small arched east door; the south chapel also has a blocked round opening. Three-light north and south windows with geometric tracery and hood moulds light the chapels. Stone crosses crown the gables.

Interior: The nave has five-bay colonnades of stone Tuscan columns and half-columns on high bases, with a coved plaster ceiling. The aisles have flat plaster ceilings. The tower arch is a two-centred triple-chamfered opening with a rere arch to the west window. A 19th-century internal porch is present.

The chancel arch is in 13th-century style with moulded details, shafts and an inner order on colonnettes. The chapel arches are moulded. The chancel has arcades to the chapels consisting of one wide and two narrow arches on paired shafts with rings. The roofs have king posts with arched braces. A string course runs at sill height. The chancel contains two sedilia and a piscina recess, with encaustic tile paving.

Fittings include a pulpit and font of 1870 in stone with relief carvings. The north aisle screen incorporates some re-used wood carvings of around 1500. A notable benefaction board on the south wall of the tower is dated 1683 and has a triptych design with two doors painted with inscriptions. Inside are four scenes of acts of charity in 16th-century style. The central section holds a list of charities on parchment. The board has a gadrooned top rail with modillion cornice, moulded bottom rail on brackets, and an additional rail below carved with flowers and foliage. A brass chandelier of 1733 hangs in the nave. 19th-century stained glass is present throughout.

Monuments include Sir Fulke Greville (died 1559) and his wife, represented by effigies with remains of colouring. According to the Victoria County History, these were originally set on a chest tomb with inscription, corner shafts, three-bay sides, shields and weepers in the north aisle, but were dismantled and not in their original position at the time of inspection. A monument to Francis, Marquis of Hertford, was created by the sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey and is signed and dated 1828. It stands in the south chapel and depicts a half-reclining figure on a high base. A monument to Sir Hamilton Seymour, in the tower, is signed and dated by Gleichen 1882 and shows a seated figure on a pedestal. A wall monument to John Brandis (died 1724) by Edward Woodward is located in the south aisle.