Church Of St Nicholas

CONDICOTE SP 12 NE 3/1 Church of St Nicholas 25.8.60 II* GV

Anglican Parish Church. Late C12 nave and chancel with C15 remodelling, restored (heavily) 1888 by Mark Hookham of Stow-on-the-Wold. Rubble with Cotswold stone roof. Small 3-bay nave with gabled south porch (of 1888), bay chancel heavily buttressed to south and with vestry to North. The West gable end is capped by a single bellcote (1888) but retains 3 enriched strings with chevron (below), pellet (centre) and double cable (upper), as well as central wall buttress below central lancet; it is largely built in ashlar. The South wall may have been rebuilt in C15; it retains a C12 eaves string and has a 3-light square head window with rectilinear tracery. The South door is richly ornamented: 2 orders of nook-shafts, inner ones twisted on chevron bases, scallop caps; label of saltire crosses, the outer order is of projecting chevron, the inner of cable, and bead. The tympanum is decorated with a diaper of chip-carved crosses, as at Aston Blank and Upper Slaughter, over a larger similar lintel in a surround of chevron on a roll-mould and hollow jambs. The chancel has corner and 2 added buttresses and dado string. To South blocked central window, 2-light plate- tracery window without label with off-centre low-side window below it. The 2 round headed lancets in East wall were restored in 1888 (pace BOE). On North side a string with plain chevron ornament. The North wall of the nave has a moulded string, but has been remodelled, fragments probably from North door in porch. Interior scraped and 2 steps down. Chancel arch (rebuilt?) pointed with keeled roll-mould, hollow outer chevron order and label of saltire grosses, the nook shafts are reserved within chevron jambs, scallop caps, pelletted imposts; on chancel side the archway is plainer with saltire crosses, the chamfered jambs suggesting a remodelling date of c.1200. The chancel has a c.1200 string, pointed piscina with broken projecting lip on crude-head corbel and chaumbries. Panelled (re-used C17?) reredos. Marble wall monument on N side of chancel to John Payne (died 1813). Font octagonal on heavy stem, possibly C14, moulded lip; Verey suggests that it is C15 and cut back from circular bowl.

Listing NGR: SP1516028331