Churchyard wall, gates and war memorial at the Church of St Nicholas

Churchyard wall, gates and war memorial. Erected in the C18 and altered in the C19 and C20. War memorial added at the south-east angle in about 1920.

MATERIALS: rubble-stone and red-brick wall, ashlar gate piers, wrought-iron gates, and a Portland stone memorial.

DESCRIPTION: the churchyard wall is constructed of red-brick laid in English bond on a squared and coursed rubble-stone base with a ridged ashlar coping. The principal gateway is set into the south wall and approached by stone steps; the coping of the wall is carved with decorative scrolls where it meets the gate piers. It has fielded and panelled ashlar piers, each topped by a cornice and ball finial, and wrought-iron gates and an overthrow. The gates were added in 1958 replacing oak gates of 1807. The west gate, at the south-west corner, and the east gate are smaller gateways, each with ogee-capped ashlar gate piers. The latter has a wrought-iron overthrow and wrought-iron gates added in 1954 to replace wooden ones.

The war memorial is set into the south-east angle of the churchyard wall and built of Portland stone. It comprises a Latin cross with an octagonal shaft resting on a square plinth and a square two-stepped base. At the centre of the cross is the monogram ‘ihs’ carved in relief and set within a circle of interweaving thorns and a rose-shaped emblem. It probably denotes the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus or, alternatively, the Latin phrase Jesus Hominium Salvator (Jesus, Saviour of Men). The cross arms are enriched with foliage decoration and the foot of the shaft has broach stops and a moulded base. The plinth has a cornice and moulded base. On the front (south-east side) of the plinth is the inscription: TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF OUR MEN WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. The other three sides are carved with 37 names of those that died during the conflict. On the front of the base is the inscription: AND TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF OUR MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ NAMES. It includes seven names of the fallen.