Church Of St Nicholas

Parish church, dating from around 1460, incorporating earlier fabric. The church was restored in 1557, enlarged with rebuilding in 1849 by Benjamin Ferrey, in 1858 by Wollaston, and further altered in 1896 by Bodley and Garner. It is constructed of flint rubble with stone dressings; the nave roof is tiled and the north aisle roof is slate. The church consists of a nave with aisles, a chancel with a north vestry, and a tower over the west bay of the north aisle, dating from around 1460, topped with a tall, shingled broach spire rebuilt by Wollaston in 1858. A south aisle and vestry were added by Ferrey in the Perpendicular style. He also worked on the chancel, which was subsequently enlarged by Bodley and Garner, adding a partially infilled three-light traceried east window and more ornamental stone dressings to the east wall. Ferrey’s aisle tracery features paired cusped lights under hood moulds.

Inside, a high opening on the west wall of the nave reveals a remnant of the original small Saxon church. There is a four-bay arcade on quatrefoil piers, with arches having two chamfers; the tower arches have three, and all date to the 15th century. A door to the tower is dated 1586. The roof is a braced collar rafter structure. Original Perpendicular screens separate the nave from the chancel and north aisle. The chancel was refitted by Bodley and Garner, including a painted wagon roof, and a reredos of 1896, constructed with alabasters. The sanctuary paving is from 1896, the work of Farmer and Brindley, and the sanctuary glass is from the same date, designed by Burlison and Grylls. A south window, dating from 1900, is by Kempe, and the organ case is from 1888. The Norman font has a square, arcaded bowl set on five shafts. Numerous fine monuments are present, dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including the Walsingham tomb (1550) and the Warwick cartouche (1682).