St Nicholas

The west tower, nave, chancel and south porch date largely from the C14, some of the fenestration is C16, and the north aisle and north vestry were added in the late C19.

The south elevation has a projecting porch with a C14 two-centred archway with ovolo and hollow chamfered mouldings and chamfered stops.

There is a pair of trefoiled lancets to the left of the porch and two C16 flat-headed, four-light windows to the right.

The south wall of the chancel has a C14 window of two trefoil ogee-headed lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head and a partly restored C14 doorway with chamfered jambs and a segmental-pointed head.

The easternmost arch has chamfered responds and dates from the C14, whilst the rest have clustered shafts with moulded capitals and bases and are late C19.

three of 1600 by John Wallis which are inscribed: "Feare God," "Prayse God," "Love God"

There are a number of good quality fittings including a C14 trefoiled piscina with a round bowl

an early C17 octagonal oak pulpit with moulded panels and a chip-carved frieze

and a stone font in a baluster form with an ogee-moulded bowl.

SY8697 : St Nicholas, Winterborne Kingston: font

© Basher Eyre

Other features are largely C19, including encaustic tiles and an early C19 marble monument.

The church has C14 origins and was restored by the architect G E Street in the 1870s when the vestry and the north aisle were also added.

SOURCES: Royal Commission of Historic Monuments in England, `Dorset: an inventory of historical monuments' HMSO.

London, vol. 2, pt. II, pp 300-301 N. Pevsner and J. Newman, `The Buildings of England - Dorset' , pp481 REASON FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The Church of St Nicholas is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * A small parish church comprising a C14 nave, chancel, tower and porch.

The addition of the vestry and north aisle, and restoration work in the 1870s by G. E. Street, an eminent C19 architect, further increase the building's interest * The quality of its architectural detailing, materials and craftsmanship * It has a high quality and quantity of surviving medieval and later fabric.