Church of St Nicolas

Details

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SU 9949SW
7/86

GUILDFORD
BURY STREET
Church of St. Nicolas

(Formerly listed as Church of St. Nicholas, HIGH STREET)

1/5/53

GV
II*
Church. Loseley chapel C15, the remainder built in 1870-75 (consecrated April 1876) to the designs of S.S Teulon, but executed by Ewan Christian. Tower lantern designed by Stanley Gage Livock and added in 1951. Flint rubble walls on the Loseley Chapel, coursed. Bargate blocks on the remainder with aluminium roofs; ribbed copper roof over teak lantern. Almost cruciform plan with square crossing tower, apsidal chancel and aisled nave with clearstorey, and Loseley Chapel forming south transept arm. North porch across angle with the west front and further porch to south.

Three stage tower with ringing chamber over the crossing vault and the bellchamber above that. Quoined angles and gabled offset pier buttresses to lower stages. Octagonal stair turret to the south-east angle under octagonal lantern with stone parapet and lancet fenestration. Corbel table on upper stage of tower with two arched tall windows in ashlar surrounds on each face, the openings filled with scalloped-ended louvres. Canted apse to east of tower over crypt with offset buttresses and two-light and roundel plate-tracery windows on linking sill course and under hood moulds. Small lancet type windows in crypt below. On north wall of apse is a rainwater head dated 1849, from the period when Henry Woodyer worked on the previous church. North transept gable end has large plate-tracery, three-light and roundel window on sill string course and under hood moulding. One transomed leaded window below with pointed-arched door to side. Pentice aisle to north with four triple lancet windows alternating with buttresses; paired roundel windows in clearstorey above. North porch follows line of corner of site with double doors in three-step, roll moulded surround under hood mould and flanked by jamb shafts. Flight of five steps in front with swept railings on twisted spiral standards.

West front: gabled buttresses flanking very large window with two plate-tracery two-light and roundel windows below and five-lobed roundel above under common hood moulding. Flat-roofed vestry in south west angle with paired lancet fenestration.

South aisle: designed by Ewan Christian. Triple gables at right angles to nave with three-light and roundel window to each under hood mould and with alternating buttresses. Larger gable to west with south door below in two step, roll-moulded surround and with roundel window above. C20 flint rubble and stone church hall attached to Loseley Chapel at south east by a glass corridor not of special interest.

Interior: south aisle with narthex in western bay separated from the remainder of the church by screens with wooden corbelled wall plates and arched panelled roof. Five bay nave arcades on round piers with moulded caps. Bath stone surrounds to clearstorey windows with each embrasure divided by a detached column. Tall chancel arch on jamb-shafts, rib-vaulted crossing and chancel apse. Crossing sanctuary has arcaded sides with double pillars repeated in the supports for the corbels of the arch leading to the apse. Marble floor and mosaics in apse.

Fittings: coloured and gilded piscina and two-seated sedilia in apse with symbols of the Eucharist decorating. Wrought iron screen designed by Woodyer and made at Millmead in Guildford, fills three of the sanctuary side arches. Low marble walls separate the nave from the sanctuary with hanging rood above designed by Charles Nicholson. Marble and alabaster font by Thomas Earp with pillared base and carved panel reliefs on sides depicting sermons.

Magnificent font in west end of nave under tall canopy carved by Earp and designed by Woodyer. Large bowl on central pillar flanked by smaller pillars at angles on moulded plinths and with foliated caps. Each side of the font is carved in deep relief with baptism and Old Testament scenes; at the corners are figures emptying jars. Five stage towering canopy above, the main structure square with cusped arches on pillars of four coupled shafts, at the corners are statues of four evangelists. Crocketed gables above surmounted with carved pelicans and painted on sides. Quatrefoil recesses in spandrels with angles, and from the centre of this stage rises an octagonal base and lantern above with pinnacled flying buttresses. Smaller lantern above and crocketed spirit crowning. The central wooden drum cover is drawn up by means of a pulley and chain into the canopy and is carved with the twelve apostles. The west wall is painted and gilded with angels and scenes of baptism and communion and also the crucifixion. Completed in 1900 by Joseph Aloitius Pippett. Stained glass by Clayton and Bell.

Memorials: Loseley Chapel: south wall: tomb to Arnold Brocas. Altar tomb with effigy of priest in painted red cope. Five bay front with quatrefoil panelling, each enclosing a shield. Recess over the tomb has panelled sides and vaulted soffit of three bays divided by cinquefoil cusped arches. Angel and portrait corbels to rear. East wall: alabaster tomb of Sir William More and his wife Dame Margaret with effigies flanked by pilasters and marble panels. Brackets on sides with seated cherubs, dark coloured Corinthian columns either side of centre with cornice and shields above. Wings added to either side for further members of the family - Sir George More and his wife of kneeler type.

Listing NGR: SU9942049348

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

288950

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I Rev. by Cherry, The Buildings of England: Surrey, (1971), 274
Malden, H E, The Victoria History of the County of Surrey: Volume III, (1911), 568-569

Other
PM Johnston, Schedule of Surrey Antiquities, (1913)

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