Church Of St Nicholas Of Mira

STEEPLE LANGFORD LITTLE LANGFORD SU 03 NW (north side) 2/87 Church of St. Nicholas of Mira 23.3.60. GV II* Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C14, C15, restored 1864 by T.H. Wyatt. Chequered flint and limestone, tiled roof with coped verges and cross finials. Small church consisting of nave, south chapel and chancel with C20 bellcote and south doorway. Particularly fine Romanesque south doorway; round arch with billet, roll and irregular chevron ornament on attached shafts with symbolic carvings of horse-serpent and bird of prey to left and human figure to right, lintel has well-preserved carving of a boar hunt with dogs, boar and man, tympanum has symbolic carvings of beaded star preaching cross, bishop with staff and tree with birds, door is C19 with ornamental hinges. To left is C16-style 2-light window with hoodmould. South chapel has restored 3-light reticulated tracery window with hoodmould, chamfered lancet and reset Medieval coffin lid to east. Chancel has small chamfered light and restored square-headed C14 window with hoodmould, east end has restored 3- light pointed Perpendicular window with hoodmould. C19 lean-to vestry to north has cusped lancets and ashlar stack with offsets and reset carved stone heraldic arms of Henry Stourton and his wife Katherine Frampton, formerly on north porch, reset Medieval coffin lid on north wall of chancel. North side of nave has two C19 two- light square-headed cusped windows, reset scratch dial on buttress, cast-iron rainwater heads dated 1863. West end has three C14 stepped lancets with C14 cusped lancet over. C20 timber bellcote with short plain spire. Interior: Nave has 3-bay C19 arch-braced collar truss roof on stone corbels, flagstone floors. C14 double-chamfered chancel arch on square chamfered responds, squint to right between chancel and south chapel. South chapel with double-chamfered arch, some Medieval encaustic tiles survive below window, fine chest tomb with strapwork panels, initials IH and recumbent, partly damaged, effigy of William Haytor, died c1623, C12 'tongue-poker' carved face set on south wall, below ridge. Chancel has C19 scissor-rafter roof, Minton coloured tiled floor, C19 trefoil piscina and aumbry on north wall. C19 chamfered pointed niche on north wall containing freestanding Medieval carving of Crucifixion in the Roman style. C19 pews, pulpit and choir stalls, C12 bowl font reset on octagonal plinth, part of dado of former wooden chancel screen reused in reading desk. Good 1860's stained glass by Lavers and Barraud, the east window dedicated to Sidney, Lord Herbert of Wilton House. The 1864 restoration was paid for by Lady Herbert of Lea, widow of Sidney Lord Herbert; the builders were Davies and Son of Frome. (Salisbury F Winchester Journal, July 30th, 1864)

Listing NGR: SU0478336620