Church of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a Grade I listed building that was originally part of a leprosy hospital. It dates from the late 11th century, with additions made in the 12th and 14th centuries.

Constructed from flint with stone dressings and topped with a tiled roof, the church features a chancel and nave that are both of Norman origin, belonging to Lanfranc's original foundation. A tower and north aisle were added in the 12th century, while the south aisle was constructed in the 14th century.

The church is situated within a small sloping enclosure bordered by almshouses, which were rebuilt in 1840, to the west and south, and St Nicholas's Farmhouse to the north. The west front showcases a Norman doorway adorned with zigzag moulding, above which is a square-headed three-light Perpendicular window. The plain square tower, set back to the right, consists of four stages and features simple lancet openings. The nave roof extends over the aisles in a continuous catslide, and the projecting chancel has two-light windows with early Decorated tracery.

Inside, the church boasts Transitional Norman arcades that have been partially remodelled in the 14th century, with some original Norman carved capitals still visible. The floor slopes downward from east to west, a design choice believed to assist with the regular washings needed to prevent infection. The roof is of the 14th-century crown-post type. The belfry, accessible via a flight of medieval solid-tread stairs, houses four bells: one dating from around 1450, cast by William Chamberlain, and three from 1614-1622 by Joseph Hatch. Other notable early features include 14th-century wall paintings and stained glass in the chancel, simple timber benches in the nave, and an octagonal font decorated with carved beasts and blind Perpendicular tracery on the shaft. A treasury located at the end of the north aisle displays artefacts from the medieval hospital.