Church Of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

A substantial parish church of limestone ashlar and rubble with ashlar dressings, roofed in Stonesfield slate and artificial stone slate. The building dates principally from the late 12th century (possibly 11th century), with major 14th and 15th-century additions. The chancel was rebuilt in 1680 by the mason Richard Varney for Dr Robert South, and the entire church was restored in 1861 by E.G. Bruton.

The church comprises an aisled nave with north and south aisles, a chancel, north-east vestry, south porch, and a west tower.

The chancel is constructed of squared coursed rubble and now contains 19th-century windows in Geometrical Decorated style: a three-light east window and two-light windows to north and south, all with foliage stops to the hood moulds. A small lancet window in the hipped-roofed north vestry may be medieval.

The narrow south aisle has a steep double-pitched roof and contains a two-light Decorated east window and two similar windows to the south. The 19th-century south porch, with arcaded side windows, shelters a 14th-century south doorway with continuous mouldings. Within the west gable wall of the aisle is a small window of 11th or 12th-century date.

The broader north aisle also has a steep double-pitched roof and is lit by four large three-light windows with geometrical tracery, mostly renewed. A blocked north doorway features continuous wave mouldings flanking a three-quarter hollow moulding.

The west tower is a fine three-stage structure of the 15th century, built in ashlar with diagonal buttresses and a crenellated parapet. It contains a three-light four-centred arched west window with intersecting tracery and a wide casement moulding, above a Tudor-arched doorway with quatrefoils in the spandrels and a label mould. The top stage features large two-light bell-chamber openings with Perpendicular tracery and transoms. Crocketted corner pinnacles with panelled sides complete the design.

Interior

The chancel arch dates from the 14th century. A three-bay south arcade contains octagonal piers with foliage corbels to the responds. The late 12th-century north arcade shows Transitional characteristics, with pointed chamfered arches springing from round piers with square scalloped and leaf-volute capitals; the responds have engaged corner shafts. A tall fifteenth-century tower arch rises at the west end.

The coupled-rafter nave roof probably dates from the 13th or 14th century. The south aisle contains a butt-purlin roof with straight windbraces and some stop-chamfers, possibly of 17th-century date. The north aisle has a butt-purlin roof of slighter scantling, dated 1716.

A small 14th-century piscina is located in the south aisle. The sanctuary contains 19th-century polychrome glazed tiles.

Fittings and Decoration

A 15th-century font with quatrefoil panelling remains in place. A 17th-century communion table stands in the north aisle. Panelled and carved choir stalls probably incorporate work from the 1680 chancel renovation. A 19th-century wooden reredos features carved wooden figures beneath elaborate canopies.

Monument memorials include: Henry Norrys (died 1637) with a brass in a marble surround; Edward Dewe (died 1656) and Luke Chapham (died 1676), both with side scrolls, broken pediments, and arms cartouches.

The stained glass includes the east window of 1861 by Warrington; the west window of 1862 by Powell; and the south chancel windows of 1904 by Powell Ltd.

Historical Context

The church was granted to Westminster Abbey in 1065 by Edward the Confessor. The narrow south aisle may represent the nave of his original church, with the west wall and its high gable possibly surviving from that building.