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Old Church Of St Nicholas

Heythrop

Oxfordshire

C12 and C15, altered C19

Architectural Features

4-centre-arched C15 east window has Perpendicular drop tracery

Square-headed windows of 2 and 3 lights facing south are also C15 and have cusped lights, deep casement mouldings and square-stopped labels

between them is a blocked round-headed lancet above which is a relief of the Agnus Dei, and the south-west buttress also has a re-set early relief of 2 figures holding crooks

West wall incorporates the C12 chancel arch, with a band of alternating cable mould, flanked by pairs of round-headed niches, each with roll-moulded arch and jamb shafts

set into the chancel arch is the C12 former south doorway, with an elaborate arch of 5 ornamented orders, the jambs including 2 pairs of detached shafts with waterleaf capitals

Interior: fine trefoil-headed C13 piscina has a moulded surround, a stone credence shelf and a carving of a bunch of grapes at the rear

Butt-purlin roof is probably C17/C18 but has re-used rafters

Elaborate panelled chest tomb to south of sanctuary has a Purbeck-marble cover with brasses commemorating John Ashfield (d.1521) and his wife Elenor, and forms part of a larger monument with the window above, in which they are also shown with their children in stained glass

Monuments also include a large coloured-marble wall memorial to George Talbot, 15th Earl of Shrewsbury (d.1787) by J.F. Moore, with an oval relief below an achievment of arms

and a white marble monument commemorating Mary, the mother of the 15th Earl

The east window also includes medieval stained glass

Small stone font on a panelled stem may be C17. (Buildings of England: Oxforeshire: pp696-7

Photo coming soon