Church of St Nicholas

Chapel of Ease, former parish church. Probably late C13 or early C14; restored and extended in 1848 by R J Withers.

MATERIALS: constructed of Forest Marble stone rubble and flint with Hamstone ashlar dressings, arranged in polychromic bands to the north elevation of the nave. The roofs are tiled with lower courses of stone slates to the chancel roof. The gable ends have stone copings bearing cross finials and there is an ashlar bell-cote between the nave and chancel.

PLAN: it is orientated south-west to north-east and is a two-cell structure comprising a nave and a chancel; the latter added in 1848.

EXTERIOR: there are angled buttresses to the chancel and its windows are probably Cl9. The east window has three trefoiled lights under a centred head; the label has carved head stops of a similar style to some at Sherborne Abbey. The windows to the north and south elevations have two trefoiled lights with quatrefoils. The north door has a chamfered, two-centred head and continuous jambs. There are three buttresses to the north wall of the nave and a C19 window and two C16 or C17 windows of two segmental-headed lights set in square heads to its north elevation; two similar two-light windows in the south wall. The early-C14 west window has two pointed lights in a two-centred head. The west doorway has two-centred mouldings with continuous jambs and is C19; there is a pair of doors with decorative strap hinges.

INTERIOR: a simple interior with painted walls and probable C19 collar-braced roofs with moulded wall plates; the angel corbels have been reset in nave. The narrow benches have elaborate carved ends depicting scenes from the Life of Christ and other religious figures and scenes; the one closest to the pulpit was altered in 1848. There is C16 or C17 linenfold panelling behind the altar and by the west door. The pulpit is probably C19 but incorporates some possible late-medieval panels, and the font is also probably C19 and has an octagonal stone bowl on cluster of four shafts with moulded capitals and bases. At the western end of the nave's north wall is a fragment of a C17 wall painting of the Lord's Prayer in black script, discovered in 1961. Memorial plaques in the nave commemorate those men from Hilfield St Nicholas who died during the First and Second World Wars. The chancel arch is two-centred, with two chamfered orders, the outer one continuous with the jambs and the inner order dying into the responds. The Communion rail has been placed at the entrance to the chancel which has C19 encaustic floor tiles and there are poppy-headed stalls. The bell is dated 1726, and the registers date from 1565.