Church Of St Nicholas

CORFE CP ST2319 CORFE VILLAGE 12/23 Church of St Nicholas 25.2.55 GV II* Parish church. 1842 rebuilding of Norman church, south aisle added 1858 and tower rebuilt; 1969 chancel restored. By B Ferrey, later addition by C E Giles. Squared and coursed blue lias, Has stone dressings, slate roofs, stone slates to pyramid tower of church with decorative wrought iron balustrade and finial. Entered through north-west tower, 4-bay nave and south aisle, south-east organ bay, chancel. Norman style. Three stage tower, clasping buttresses, pyramid roof, modillion cornice, 2-light louvred bell openings resting on modillion cornice, Norman style west door, double doors with good decorative hinges ; left gable end of nave with rose window, lancet to west end of south aisle, south front 5 semi-circular headed lancets linked by continuous hoodmould, double lancets to organ bay door at east end, lancet to chancel. 3 lancets east end with rose window above, stepped buttresses, roll moulding around chancel,lancets on north front, dentil moulding to nave, 3 lancets, stair turret in south-east corner. Interior: squared and coursed blue lias, tower rendered. Four bay Norman-style arcade with scalloped capitals and stencilled decoration on extrados. Norman-style chancel arch, modelled on arch of original church. C19 roofs, open ribbed to chancel, hammer beam supported on diagonal struts corbelled out, with arch bracing, carved corbels. Norman style carving to choir stalls, bench fronts and interlaced arcading to organ screen acting as reredos to south aisle altar; panelled dado to chancel; Norman style reredos to chancel, mid-late C19 stained glass, east end windows in memory of deceased 1817. Memorials to Sir Frederick Grey Cooper died 1840, and his wife, of Barton Grange (qv) with recently repainted coat of arms, opposite draped with memorial to Clifton Wheat died 1807, of Barton House. Both gentlemen appear to have had the same wife, who is commemorated in a stained glass aisle window. Painted board with Royal Coat of Arms of period 1801-16. Very interesting Norman font with interlocking arcading and carved palmette. Two Romanesque style wooden armchairs, semi-circular arms with carved lions, semi-circular headed back with billeted frieze and painted wooden cross, probably designed by Ferrey. Two simple brass plaqes by J Hardman of Birmingham, early C20. A satisfactory piece of design in the Norman style. (Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1955).

Listing NGR: ST2324719689