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St Nicholas

Castle Hedingham

Essex

Circa 1180 Chancel, Nave, North

Architectural Features

South aisles (with C14 eastern bays) and Clerestory.

C15 north vestry.

C16 red brick tower.

C16 red brick porch with diapering.

Above these eastern windows is a large C12 wheel windown of eight shafts with moulded bases and foliate capitals.

Southwestern door blocked internally but with original C12 door of 3 boards with fine ironwork.

C12 doorway with semi-circular arch of two richly carved orders with foliate and zig-zag ornament, lable with billet ornament.

Chancel door to vestry C15 of studded battens with strap hinges.

C15 vestry doorway with moulded jambs and two centred arch in square head, moulded label over.

C12 rectangular niche in north wall with rebated jambs and head.

Circa 1539 black marble altar tomb with polished top slab, to John DeVere Fifteenth Earl of Oxford and his Wife Elizabeth (Trussell).

Two panels in high relief, one of two kneeling figures of a man in fluted plate armour and a woman with pedimental head-dress and heraldic mantle.

Side slabs panelled with kneeling figures of four daughters and names, the four sons, against wall are not visible.

Misericords, moulded and carved with many motifs, believed to be one of only two sets in Essex.

The two centred Chancel Arch was possibly widened and rebuilt C14 with original and new material.

Chancel Screen C14/C15 of 6 bays the two centre bays forming a doorway with trefoiled sub-cusped head, crocketed with finials and tracery over.

Similar side bays with closed lower panels with foliate bosses and spandrels, cinquefoil heads, moulded and buttressed posts and moulded cornice with carved bosses.

To north east of the Chancel, the C15 Vestry with lean-yo roof and north east buttress.

The Norman Nave, north and south aisles with C15/C16 red brick crenellations with moulded string courses and crow stepped parapet verges. the clerestorey with red brick sunken panels with alternating boar and mullet motifs of the De Vere family, between six two light segmental headed windows with flat labels over to north and south walls.

South Aisle with two C14 three light windows with tracery under square heads.

C12 south doorway with jambs and semi-circular arch of three moulded orders.

C12 door with counter rebated plank edges and find original ironwork.

C16 west window of two square headed lights with chamfered label.

C12 north doorway with moulded semi-circular arch, jambs with keeled shafts with moulded bases and abaci and foliate capitals.

The C12 door has fine original ironwork.

The two eastern bays are exceptions, being C14.

The C14 upper doorway to former rood loft has a moulded two centred arch and chamfered jambs and is above the first pier of the north arcade.

The clerestorey has C12 internal splays

semi-circular arches which were cut back C16 when the brick windows were inserted.

C14 niche in norht wall with moulded jambs and trefoil head.

C12 or earlier stoup bowl with reversed animal head and foliate carving, set into wall recess east of the south door.

C17 panelling to south east corner of south aisle above which is a small carved stone figure with raised arms

circular head possibly C12 or earlier.

Died 1535.

Of double hammer beams with moulded purlins and upper hammer beams, crenellated and carved cornice and lower hammer beams.

Carved pendants to collar beams.

Above the wall plates each bay has carved angels with outspread wings, holding shields. the Mullet and Boar emblems of the De Vere family are also carved in this panelling.

West Tower C16.

Red brick probably restored circa 1616.

A stone over the west window is inscribed "Robert Archer the Master Builder of this stepell 1616".

The stained glass windows depict 10 saints.

C17 door with strap hinges.

Chamfered responds with moulded bases and foliate capitals to attached shafts, part of these shafts possibly C12 re-set.

The C16 diapered red brick South porch is crenellated and buttressed.

The three Norman doors and doorways, the double hammer beam roof and misericords together with the Norman sturcture and later brick tower make this church one of the most outstanding in Essex.