Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a building of around 1100, with a south aisle added in 1190 and a north aisle around 1290. It was largely rebuilt in 1845, retaining a 15th-century bellcage and some 19th-century alterations. The church is constructed of Bargate stone rubble, plastered externally, with some framing visible on the east gable of the north vestry; hard chalk is used internally. The roof was originally covered with Horsham slabs, now replaced with plain tiles, except for the eaves courses, with wooden shingles on the bell tower and spire.

The church comprises an aisled nave with a lower chancel to the east, and porches to the north and south, as well as a north vestry adjoining the chancel. A broach spire rises above a cross-ridge bellcote on the west end, featuring openings on the north and south sides, with lower openings beneath a pentice hood supported by braces. The renewed 19th-century west window is of Perpendicular style, with ogee-arch lancets in flanking pentice-roofed aisle ends. A diagonal buttress marks the east end of the south aisle, with a lancet window on the south side and a two-light window under a label moulding on the chancel. A Decorated-style window is situated at the east end over a central buttress; the northern windows are 19th-century copies. There are good porches to both north and south, the north porch featuring side arcades of quatrefoils over an ogee-arch cusped arcade, and arched braces to the entrance. The north doorway incorporates stonework taken from the north wall, dating to the 13th century, with elaborate diagonal braces on the rear of the door, and a surviving massive lock case. The south porch has chamfered posts supporting trefoil-head aisles on the sides, and strapwork hinges on a 15th-century door.

Inside, the floors are of brick tile and stone. The timber bellcage, dating to around 1500, is located in the western bay of the nave. The roof of the nave is a braced crown-post structure. The south arcade has three bays with obtusely pointed arches on circular piers and half-pier responds, the western respond featuring angle spurs at the base. The north aisle arcade has a hollow chamfer on the arches between two wave mouldings on octagonal piers. A 14th-century chancel arch is present. A partially restored 15th-century screen features rectilinear panels to either side of the central entrance arch and a billeted top. A Jacobean pulpit has a sounding board, with scrolled hangers, panelled sides decorated with leaves and diamond panels enclosing flowers, a central octagonal stem, and a dentilled sounding board. A fine 12th-century tub font is made of Bargate stone, sitting on a shallow base with a recessed section filled by a cable moulding, the upper section arcaded with eight circular-head arches, each containing a Maltese Cross on a long stem. A monument, dated 1693, is located on the north side of the chancel; it is of white marble, featuring panelled Corinthian-type pilasters, a central segmental arch, a crowning cartouche, and winged putti in the apron. The church is the focal point of a picturesque village setting.