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

This churchyard wall, gates, and war memorial were erected in the 18th century and subsequently altered in the 19th and 20th centuries. The war memorial was added to the south-east angle of the churchyard around 1920.

The churchyard wall is built of red brick in English bond, set upon a base of squared and coursed rubble stone, and topped with a ridged ashlar coping. The main gateway is situated within the south wall, accessed via stone steps. The wall coping features decorative scrolls where it meets the gate piers. The gate piers are of fielded and panelled ashlar, each crowned with a cornice and ball finial. Wrought-iron gates and an overthrow are present. The wrought-iron gates were installed in 1958, replacing oak gates dating back to 1807. A smaller gateway is located at the south-west corner (the west gate), and another is situated in the east wall. The east gate was fitted with wrought-iron gates and an overthrow in 1954 to replace earlier wooden gates.

The war memorial, made of Portland stone, is set within the south-east angle of the wall. It consists of a Latin cross with an octagonal shaft, set upon a square plinth and a square two-stepped base. The cross features carvings, including the monogram ‘ihs’ within a circle of interweaving thorns and a rose-shaped emblem, which likely denotes the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus or, alternatively, a Latin phrase meaning “Jesus, Saviour of Men”. Decorative foliage adorns the cross arms, and the foot of the shaft features broach stops and a moulded base. The plinth includes a cornice and moulded base. An inscription on the front (south-east side) reads: “TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF OUR MEN WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919.” The other three sides are carved with the names of 37 individuals who died during the conflict. Another inscription on the front of the base reads: “AND TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF OUR MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ NAMES,” followed by the names of seven fallen individuals.