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St Nicholas

St Nicholas

Lifford

West Midlands

Substantial Medieval church of sandstone with nave, aisles, chancel and west tower with spire, south porch.

Architectural Features

Norman origin but predominantly late C13

Major feature of C15 west tower

spire with contemporary south porch, gabled clerestory a C17 addition chancel restored with considerable reconstruction by Ewan Christian C1863.

The chancel retains 2 reset C12 round arched windows in the north wall,

was probably rebuilt in the early C13 with a further rebuild in the C14.

Major rebuilding commenced late C13 with the 7 bay north aisle arcade, the south aisle arcade being early C14 - octagonal and quatrefoil clustered shaft piers, but one circular.

C14 chancel arch of 2 orders with ball flower ornament to inner one, south aisle windows with hood moulds C14: north aisle windows altered in 1872 restoration.

The tower and spires of the C15: 4 stages, the belfry arcade to each face with 4 2-light mullioned-transomed windows, outer ones blind, all with crocketted gabled drip moulds with finials.

Crenellated parapet with corner pinnacles, the graceful octagonal spire rising above in 3 stages, the south porch also C15 with remains of a crocketed image bracket above the doorway in the gable.

Inside the porch the carved corner corbels indicate the original intention to vault in stone.

Good C16

C17 monuments mostly grouped under the tower, noteworthy for its strapwork the alabaster altar-tomb with recumbent effigies of Sir Richard Grevis and 1632 and his wife.