Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a parish church dating to circa 1590, built by Richard Chernock, who then held Hulcote Manor. It underwent some late 19th century restoration. The church is constructed of coursed rubble, a mix of limestone, ironstone, and cobbles, with ashlar dressings and a clay tile roof. It comprises a chancel, nave, a south porch, and a tower. All windows are square-headed with diamond leading.

The chancel features a three-light mullion and transom east window, with each light having a slightly rounded pointed-arched head. The east wall has been repaired with brick, incorporating a 19th-century wall tablet. North and south walls each have a two-light mullion and transom window. The north elevation has later red brick buttresses, while the south elevation has a small doorway with a rounded archway under a square head, the door ornamented with scrolled ironwork. The nave’s north and south elevations each have one three-light and one two-light mullion and transom window. A blocked four-centred arched doorway on the north elevation has been cut through by the western window. The south porch, apparently rebuilt, partially obstructs the western nave window and has a gabled four-centred arched doorway. The door is decorated with studding in a chevron and diamond pattern, and bears the initials R.C. Single lights are present on the side elevations of the porch.

The west tower has three stages with diagonal buttresses to the west angles. A semicircular stair turret projects from the north wall. The ground stage has a two-light mullion and transom window to the west side. The bell-stage has a two-light mullioned window on each side; one is blocked by the nave roof, the others have wooden louvres. The tower is topped with a plain parapet and crocketed pinnacles to the angles.

Inside, a pointed tower arch leads to the nave, which has a segmental-arched plaster ceiling. The nave contains reset 16th-century panelling with various motifs, including linenfold, a moor’s head, and the initials W.A. The chancel has choir stalls built from re-used Jacobean panelling and a 17th-century communion rail with twisted balusters. A brass memorial commemorates Richard Chernock (1616) on the chancel’s east wall. The chancel’s north wall features a polychrome three-tier wall monument to Richard Chernock, depicting him, his two wives, and numerous children. Several other 18th- and 19th-century wall monuments are also present in the chancel. The nave floor has a brass memorial to Mary Nicholls (1619).