Church Of St Nicholas

CHOLDERTON A338 SU 24 SW (east side) 2/22 Church of St Nicholas 18.2.58 GV II*

Anglican parish church. 1841-50 by T.H. Wyatt and Brandon for Rev. Thomas Mozley. Flint, knapped to lower section of walls, and Tisbury limestone dressings. Tiled roof. Nave and chancel in one vessel, tall, of 4 bays with entrance at west end and polygonal stair tower at north-west corner, now capped with single bell in an open timbered bellcote replacing original f14che. West door moulded, with painted inscription, and carved terminals to hoodmould. Tall 2-light windows, copied from Old Basing, between buttresses, all with deep casement moulded reveals and mask terminals to hoods. Three-light east and west windows. Moulded stone eaves with prominent fleurons. Gable ends raised with terminal crosses and gabled kneelers. West door has applied carving in form of ogee crocketed niches copied from the Tower Church, Ipswich. Interior: C15 hammerbeam roof of 10 bays with double moulded purlins and arch braces from hammerbeams to collars, set on arched brackets on corbels, obtained by Rev. Mozley from an Ipswich warehouse. Stone panelled screen divides off western 2 bays, carved with angles holding shields of various benefactors including patron, Oriel College, Oxford. East wall has stencilled decoration and commandments painted either side of east window. Minton tiles throughout. Font: 1850, of Caen stone, octagonal, and in entrance lobby the earlier C12 font, a bowl with trumpet supports. Pews, oak, with poppyhead bench-ends. Casson's Positive Organ. Monuments: west end, a marble wall tablet, corniced panel with urn against triangular field, scroll supports and apron on putto, to Anthony Cracherode, sole examiner in the Chancery of the Island of Barbados, died 1752. Tablet, white marble on grey, small pediment to pilastered panel, to John Tanner, died 1833, and family. Nave: limestone tablet with carved surround to Henry Charles Stephens, squire and ink manufacturer, died 1918. Stone tablet to Lieut. John King, died 1918. Brass to Cutbart Rives, died 1574, with poem. Furniture: C17 table with later top. Short Kashgai runner. Stained glass of mid C19 throughout. The Rev. Mozley, who clearly took the dominent hand in the design, was married to niece of Cardinal Newman, and both he and his wife wrote numerous works of commentary and fiction. The Noyes family, which provided incumbents from 1601 to 1651 also provided early settlers to the American colonies. In the churchyard there is a medieval sarcophagus. (Barrow, E.P. Parish Notes, 1889)

Listing NGR: SU2270942484