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St Nicholas

Idbury

Oxfordshire

C12, remodelled and extended C14 with late C19 restoration

Architectural Features

Late C14 in 3 stages (roughcast to lower stages on west) with stepped angle buttresses to north-west corner, moulded string courses (lowest at eaves level of north aisle) and embattled parapet with gargoyles on north and south sides

South side has moulded cornice of former eaves line broken to left by tall square-headed late C15 window with 2 cinquefoil-headed lights and by similar window of 3 lights to right

Fixed to wall to left of left window is memorial to John Wilts (d.1798) with carved head of angel to top

Above cornice are 4 late C15 clerestory windows with four-centred arches, panel tracery and hoodmoulds, that to west window terminating in head-stops

Contemporary grotesque heads and gargoyles to cornice of parapet

Roughly central C14 gabled porch has double-chamfered pointed outer arch dying into jambs

Roughcast west wall of nave has early C14 three-light window with reticulated tracery and hoodmould

carved head of bishop or mitred abbot to cornice of parapet

Outline of former steep roof pitch visible to east wall and C14 bellcote to apex has segmental arch and crocketed pinnacles

North side has reset C12 doorway: round-headed arch of 3 orders with a small band of zig-zag

Early C14 trefoil-headed lancet with hoodmould to right and C19 integral lateral stack immediately to left

East wall has early C14 three-light window with intersecting cusped tracery

Chancel on stepped chamfered plinth has early C14 trefoil-headed lancet with hoodmould to left on north side

3-light C15 window like those in nave clerestory but infilled to lower part lighting squint-passage projection (see interior) to right

East wall has early C14 pointed trefoil-headed window in 3 lights and C19 foliated cross to gable

South side has trefoil-headed lancet with hoodmould to west and C15 square-headed window with 3 cinquefoil-headed lights, mouchettes and label to east

C14 pointed south doorway has one order of convex and one order of hollow moulding with hoodmould

Early C14 nave arcade in 3 bays has piers of filleted quatrefoil section with moulded plinth and capitals and pointed arches with 2 orders of wave moulding

C14 segmental-pointed chancel arch with inner wave-moulded order dying into jambs is possibly recut from an earlier arch

C15 diagonal squint-passage from north aisle to chancel has ribbed vault and chamfered 4-centred arch at each end

Late C15 cambered tie beam roof in 4 bays to nave has arch-braced wall posts resting on carved stone corbels and blank stone shields at wall-plate level

Probably C17 collar and tie beam roof to north aisle and C19 scissor-braced roof to chancel

C15 wooden screen in chancel arch has 10 one-light divisions with Perpendicular tracery patterns and rosettes to ends

C15 bench ends also reused in early C20 pulpit

Probably C17 communion table with dumpy turned balusters and wooden funeral bier by door to tower

Fragments of medieval stained glass in cusped heads of clerestory window of north aisle

Further C14 fragments in east window of north aisle including mid-C14 roundel of female head

Monuments

Brass plate to Thomas Hautin (d.1643) to south of chancel arch and large memorial with broken scroll pediment to John Logan (d.1637) on north wall of north aisle. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: pp657-8) [2547]

Photo coming soon