Church Of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas

A church of Grade I listing, dating from approximately 1300 to 1350. The building is constructed of squared and coursed limestone and lias with granite and ashlar dressings, beneath a roof of lead and slate laid to diminishing courses.

The church comprises an aisled nave, chancel, and west tower. The chancel's south elevation displays a 3-window range of 3-light windows with intersecting tracery, the rightmost being blocked. The north elevation is similar, with a blocked window to the left that retains its tracery. The east window is a 5-light composition with intersecting tracery and a roundel above. The chancel is finished with a gabled roof featuring ashlar gable parapets and large rectangular ribbed finials at the eaves.

The south aisle contains a 3-window range; the centre window of 3 lights has intersecting tracery, whilst the flanking windows of 3 lights each have rectilinear tracery. Similar east and west windows exist, the western being blocked. A south porch to the left has a cusped outer arch and ashlar gable parapets. The south aisle roof is of lean-to form with ashlar gable parapets and ball finials at the corners.

The north aisle also displays a 3-window range of 3-light windows, with the two to the left showing rectilinear tracery and that to the right showing intersecting tracery. A north door is positioned to the right. Similar east and west windows are present. The lean-to roof here has ashlar parapets with corner finials. Both aisles and chancel feature 2-stage buttresses positioned between the windows.

The nave clerestory comprises a 5-window range of 2-light square-headed windows beneath a gabled roof. The west tower rises in 3 stages with clasping buttresses at the corners and a 2-light window in the lower stage. The bell chamber in the third stage features a 2-light opening with Y-tracery. A stair turret is positioned at the north-east corner. The castellated parapet, now rendered, carries crocketed corner pinnacles, some partially rebuilt on arched brick supports.

The interior features a double-chamfered chancel arch. The nave arcade comprises 5 bays of double-chamfered arches supported on tall piers with continuous chamfered mouldings. A piscina in the south aisle has a crocketed gable, beside which stands a low stone bench decorated with quatrefoils. The nave and aisle roofs are probably 14th century, with carved tracery applied to the tie beams of the nave roof; wall shafts are supported on carved brackets.

A 14th-century font bears tracery decoration. The pulpit incorporates part of the rood screen. The rood screen has a Perpendicular base and top reset from Lutterworth, Leicestershire; a tower screen of similar date is also present. Choir stalls feature panelled fronts, one with a misericord, and 16th-century linenfold panelling behind. An 18th-century wrought-iron communion rail is installed. A west gallery on Tuscan columns supports an early 17th-century organ, reputedly from the Royal Chapel at Whitehall.

The church contains extensive stained glass of historical significance. The chancel's east window dates to the early 14th century and depicts the Virgin, Saints, Abbots, and the Crucifixion. The chancel side windows, also early 14th century, show 10 apostles and 2 saints; the north window additionally shows Christ and the Virgin. The north-aisle east window, dated circa 1330-40, depicts the Virgin, Crucifixion, and Saints. Glass of similar date is found in the south-aisle east window, the south-east window tracery head, the north-west window, the adjacent north-east window, and the large spires in the chancel's north window. The south-east window contains 15th-century glass depicting the Virgin and St John the Evangelist, whilst the two adjacent westerly windows show the Visitation and various saints. South aisle windows, probably early 16th century, depict figures. The east window, dated circa 1558, shows members of the Cave family and portraits of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, which came from Stanford Hall, probably in the 19th century.

The church contains numerous monuments of the Cave family and associated persons. A defaced 14th-century effigy of a priest occupies a chest tomb in an arch recess decorated with quatrefoils and flanked by buttresses (south aisle). Sir Thomas Cave, who died in 1558, has an alabaster chest tomb with two recumbent figures, decorated with shields, roundels, putti, and kneeling figures (between north aisle and nave). Sir Ambrose Cave, died 1568, is commemorated by a chest tomb decorated with 3 roundels and a shield flanked by Corinthian columns supporting a pediment (north aisle). Henry Knollys and his wife Margaret Cave, circa 1600, have two effigies at different levels with kneeling daughters flanking a flat arch (north aisle). Sir Thomas Cave, died 1613, has a chest tomb with two recumbent effigies, kneeling children, a strapwork cartouche, and flanking columns (north chancel). Richard Cave, died 1606, is shown with a kneeling child (adjacent, north chancel). Dorothy St. John, died 1630, has a small chest tomb with black top decorated with shields and garlands (north aisle). Sir Thomas Cave, died 1733, and Sir Verney Cave, died 1734, are commemorated by a bust and obelisk (south chancel). James Callan, died 1751, has a small sarcophagus with Rococo volutes and an obelisk above (south aisle). Sir Thomas Cave, died 1778, is represented by an early 19th-century profile in an oval medallion (south chancel). Sir Otway Cave, died 1830, has a relief depicting 3 figures, one on a couch, reputedly by Kessells (north chancel). Robert Ottoway Cave, died 1844, has a figure on a couch by Westmacott (north aisle west). The Third Lady Braye, died 1862, is commemorated by recumbent and kneeling figures by Mary Thorneycroft (south aisle west). Edmund Verney, circa 1896, has a free-standing figure to the left (north aisle). The church also contains 17 hatchments.