Church Of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

This is a parish church of 14th-century origin, located on Canewdon High Street. The building comprises a 14th-century nave, chancel and north aisle, with an early 15th-century west tower, south porch and substantially rebuilt south wall of the nave. The church underwent later 20th-century alterations, restorations and rebuilding. The north vestry was demolished in the 18th century.

The external walls are constructed of ragstone rubble with some septaria and flint, with limestone dressings. The roofs are mainly red plain tile, with lead covering to the north aisle.

The chancel has angle buttresses to its east wall. A 19th-century window on the east wall contains three cinquefoiled lights with a low transom, moulded segmental head and label, flanked by ornate brackets to the gable. On the north wall is a 19th or 20th-century window of two cinquefoiled lights with a two-centred arch and moulded label. East of this window is part of a blocked doorway, and adjacent to the buttress the toothing of the former vestry is visible. The south wall has a centre buttress; the eastern window has been restored with two cinquefoiled lights and a moulded segmental head, while the western window is similar but with lights below a transom. Between these windows is a blocked 14th-century doorway with a moulded two-centred arch and the remains of a stopped label.

The nave's south wall features angle and eastern buttresses, with three restored 15th-century windows each containing three two-centred lights with vertical tracery above, moulded two-centred heads with labels and head stops. The tracery to the western window is more elaborate. The early 15th-century south porch has crenellations with flint chequerwork and crosses to the merlons, with a moulded band beneath. It has angle buttresses, a band below windows, and a plinth. Both the south and east walls of the porch have windows of two cinquefoiled lights with square heads and moulded labels. The outer archway has moulded and shafted jambs, a two-centred arch beneath a square head, and a defaced label with quatrefoils and daggers to the spandrels. The nave's south doorway dates to the early 16th century and has moulded jambs, a two-centred arch beneath a square head, a moulded label and traceried spandrels enclosing blank shields. The door itself is 15th-century, constructed of overlapping battens with trellis framing and strap hinges.

The north aisle has angle and two inner buttresses. It contains four windows: the western window has two cinquefoiled lights beneath a square head with label; the two central windows have three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery above, two-centred heads and labels; the eastern window has three cinquefoiled pointed lights beneath a two-centred head. A 15th-century north doorway has moulded jambs and a two-centred arch.

The west tower is a particularly fine example of 15th-century work, buttressed almost to the crenellations, with a plinth and three bands. It is of four stages with crenellations featuring flint chequerwork and crosses to the merlons. The bell chamber has a window to each face containing two cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery, square heads and labels. The third stage has a small trefoiled window with worn labels to the north, south and east faces, and a west-facing window of two cinquefoil lights with tracery and a two-centred head. The second stage has a west window of three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery above and a two-centred head; below this window are three worn panels containing shields of arms. The west doorway has moulded jambs and a two-centred arch beneath a square head, with a moulded label and traceried spandrels. A 15th-century nailed board and muntin door hangs here. Flanking the door are niches with moulded jambs, cinquefoiled heads and moulded square labels. The north and south west buttresses contain two niches each with trefoiled ogee heads.

Interior

The chancel roof dates to the 19th century and comprises four bays with arched braces to collars resting on corbels. King posts and uprights are supported by the collars, with moulded wall plates. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass. The sanctuary floor is laid in red tile. The altar rail has wrought and cast iron posts with a wooden top rail. The south-east window has a partly blocked low cill. The piscina features a cinquefoiled and moulded two-centred arch with a moulded square head. The sedilia has a 19th-century ogee head and moulded label with hollow chamfered jambs. Between the south-eastern windows is a 15th-century wall monument comprising three vertical panelled shafts and a plaque, retaining original red, green and gold paint.

The south wall bears wall memorials to Jeremiah Kirsteman (1822) and Elizabeth Kirsteman (1855), as well as to Jeremiah Kirsteman (1789) and an oval plaque to Mary Kirsteman (1801). Four plaques on the north wall commemorate Mr George Walker M.A., who built the Vicarage House, Canewdon in 1738; Rev. William Atkinson (1847); and Thos. Atkinson (1867). A blocked two-centred arch at the north doorway remains visible. The chancel arch is 19th-century work, a chamfered two-centred arch resting on semi-octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases.

The nave contains a 17th or 18th-century pulpit that is hexagonal in plan with carved and panelled wooden sides and a carved and moulded cornice adorned with cherub heads and swags of fruit and foliage, with pendant foliage at the angles. The nave roof comprises seven cants of four and a half bays with a crenellated wall plate. It features four-armed cross quadrate crown posts; the base of one is carved with "RHTD 1698", marking the date of some repair work. A hatchment hangs above the south doorway. A 17th-century panelled chest is also present. The octagonal font has chamfered round-headed arches to each face of the bowl and stem, with a moulded base.

A memorial on the south wall commemorates Mary Dearsley, aged 17, who died on 11 January 1773.

The north arcade consists of four bays with chamfered two-centred arches resting on octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Above the arches are carved gargoyles and defaced angels holding shields of arms. The west tower arch has four orders, the three inner ones chamfered, with the inner two resting on attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. A stop-chamfered two-centred arch leads to the stair turret doorway, which is fitted with a vertically boarded door. A 15th-century ceiling to the first stage features heavy chamfered arched braces resting on stone corbels and crossing at the centre with a boss at the intersection (now missing), moulded wall posts, and wall and ceiling struts to each brace.

The south aisle has a square red brick floor with 19th-century pews; those adjacent to the south door have shields of arms to their ends.

The north aisle has a red brick floor and a seven-bay lean-to roof with stop-chamfered principal rafters. A formerly relocated font from Shopland Church now stands here, featuring interlocking round-headed arches with moulded capitals and bases to columns on the east face; three trefoiled arches with moulded capitals and bases and roses above columns on the south face; two and three incised fleur-de-lis respectively on the other faces. The stem of the central and angle columns has moulded capitals and bases with a moulded base. Hatchments hang on the north and west walls. An original altar slab with a cross at each corner and the remains of a centre cross now supports an altar table serving as a Second World War memorial. An English chamber organ is present, its case dating to the 19th century but incorporating many 18th-century pipes.

Two niches in the east wall are notable: one features a cinquefoiled round head painted with St Nicholas, and the other has a cinquefoiled head painted with stars. A piscina with moulded jambs and a trefoiled head with quatrefoil drain is present, and a small niche occurs on the south wall of the chapel.

The tower is recorded as containing five bells: bell (1) by John and Christopher Hodson (1678); bell (3) by Miles Graye (1634); and bell (5) by John Waylett (1707). A 15th-century bell chamber door consists of overlapping battens.

The west tower was used as a look-out post during the First World War, and the Royal Flying Corps flag that was stationed here is displayed on the south wall alongside a Second World War Royal Artillery flag.