Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a parish church located on Trunch Road in Swafield. It features an early 14th-century west tower, with the nave and chancel dating from the 15th century. The church underwent restorations in 1861 and 1958. It is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings, with a thatched roof over the nave and a slate roof over the chancel.

The three-stage tower is externally undivided and supported by diagonal buttresses at the first stage only. It has a three-light Perpendicular west window, brick lattice slits for the ringing chamber, and two-light Perpendicular belfry windows. The tower is topped with a crenellated parapet featuring flushwork. The nave has diagonal buttresses to the west and stepped side buttresses. A gabled south porch features a hollow and wave-moulded arched entrance, with an inner doorway that has similar mouldings and a late 15th-century door. The porch includes cinquefoiled cusped side lights and a blocked north door.

The church has three three-light ogee Perpendicular panel tracery windows on the north and south sides of the nave, set under brick relieving arches. There are two three-light Perpendicular windows on the north and south chancel walls, separated by a stepped buttress, and a priests' door on the south side. Diagonal east buttresses flank a four-light 19th-century Perpendicular east window. A rood staircase intrudes on one light of the eastern nave window on the north side.

Inside, the tower arch is chamfered, and the chancel arch is hollow chamfered with semi-circular responds and polygonal capitals. The nave roof features moulded arched braces rising to moulded principals, with one tier of butt purlins and a ridge piece, all of which are also moulded. The junction of the principals and ridge piece is adorned with bosses. The 19th-century chancel roof has arched braces to the principals, collars, one tier of moulded butt purlins, and a ridge piece.

The church contains an octagonal 19th-century font with a traceried stem and quatrefoils on the bowl. The 15th-century chancel screen has been extensively restored but retains a traceried dado with eight painted panels depicting saints. Additionally, there is an ogeed piscina in the chancel with tracery panels above the arch.