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St Nicholas

Architectural Features

C12 west tower completed in C16 or C17

early C12 south aisle mostly rebuilt in C15 and its 2-storey south porch then integrated with it

later C12 north aisle rebuilt in C19

Mostly knapped flint, incorporating some Roman tiles and squared limestone, with 3-span roofs of red tiles and stone slates

Next to the tower on the south side is one bay of the early C12 south aisle, now gabled, with a lancet in its west side and a C19 window of 2 cusped lights in its south side, and attached to the right of this a half-gable which was formerly the staircase to the former 2- storey porch

The 4-bay south aisle (the 4th bay overlapping the chancel) has a 2-centred arched doorway in the 1st bay protected by a small C19 gabled porch, and three C15 3-light windows with cusped lights, cavetto-moulded surrounds, and depressed arched heads with hoodmoulds

The chancel, which is mostly of squared limestone, has two C14 2-light windows with cusped tracery, and a 2-centred arched 3-light east window with reticulated tracery (restored in sandstone), all with hoodmoulds

Interior: 4-bay aisle arcades: the early C12 south arcade has simple semicircular arches on cylindrical piers with scalloped caps and square abaci

the later C12 north arcade has chamfered 2-centred arches on octagonal columns with scalloped caps (but the 1st bay blocked), and in the wall above the 1st and 3rd columns are small round-headed C11 windows with deeply splayed reveals, the 2nd of these with remains of medieval painting (which continues over the wall to the left). The remaining west bay of the original very narrow south aisle has a deeply-splayed west window

The south side of the chancel has a large 2-centred arch to the chapel with shafts and 2 orders of moulding, the north side has C14 cusped windows of 1, 2, and 2 lights (first 2 blocked), and the east end has a stone tablet with inscription in Lombardic script recording the rebuilding of the chancel by John de Rutherwyke in 1341

C12 font with corner colonettes

Stained glass in east window, said to be C15 Flemish, from Costessy Hall in Norfolk

Numerous fine monuments, including: brasses on or close to the south pier of the chancel arch (John Barndale, 1481

Shiers (1668), Elizabeth his wife (1700) and George Shiers (1685), in a large open-pedimented aedicule with much fine carving

Thomas Moore of Polesden (1735), as a reclining figure in Roman military uniform, with trophies above (by Thomas Carter sen.)

beneath this, a very long rectangular brass plate commemorating Lord Raglan (d.1855 at Sebastopol)