Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a church with origins in the 12th century, largely rebuilt in the early 17th century, and extended in 1852. A north aisle was added by Gilbert Scott. The church is constructed of limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, and has old plain-tile roofs. It comprises a chancel, a three-bay nave with a north aisle, a south porch, and an organ chamber to the north of the chancel. The chancel has two lancet windows to the south dating from around 1200, one window to the north, and a triplet to the east designed by J.H. Parker. The south wall of the nave is likely from the early 17th century, featuring a round-headed window to the west of the porch and a two-light window in a Decorated style, potentially by Scott. The early 17th-century porch features a small window with an ovolo-moulded stone surround and a gable parapet with projecting kneelers. The outer arch is a reset doorway from around 1200, with roll and keel mouldings to the arch and two pairs of attached shafts with waterleaf capitals. The gabled west bell turret has three pointed openings and may be from the 13th century, supported by two substantial later buttresses flanking a three-light traceried window from the 15th century. The north aisle and vestry/organ chamber are in a Geometrical-Decorated style, and have traceried two-light windows to the east and west. Inside the chancel, the side walls have continuous strings at sill level and around the semi-circular heads of the splays. The east window has elaborate rear arches with freestanding shafts. To the south is a round-arched recess and a column piscina, beside two 19th-century stone seats. The 12th-century chancel arch is plain except for heavy imposts. The north arcade of the nave is in an early Decorated style, featuring octagonal piers, with stencilled decoration in the spandrels. Similar decoration and texts are present above the chancel arch, possibly dating from the 17th century. The nave has a fine seven-canted roof with a collar purlin supported by four octagonal crown posts with moulded capitals and bases. The tie beams have ovolo mouldings and soffit channels, and one is dated 1630. The seven-canted chancel roof is likely contemporary. The font, pulpit, and fittings are 19th century. Glass in the chancel is by T. Willement, and in the north aisle by Holland of Warwick, 1852. A wall monument, in coloured marbles, is dedicated to Ann Heywood (died 1756), and there are several plain 18th-century memorials.