Church of St Nicholas

Details

ST 9665 BROMHAM HIGH STREET (west side)

Church of St Nicholas 10/26 19.3.62 GV I

Anglican Parish Church, C12 origins, C13, C14 and C15 with chancel rebuilt 1865 by W. Slater. Ashlar and ironstone rubble with stone slate roofs. C13 crossing tower with C15 bell-stage and recessed spire, nave with C12 fragments in north wall, C14 south arcade and C15 fenestration, south aisle and 2-storey south porch rebuilt in ashlar in early C18. C13 chancel rebuilt 1865 but reusing shafted east window. C13 south transept rebuilt 1492 as part of the exceptionally ornate south east chapel built for Sir R. Tocotes and Sir R. Beauchamp. Exterior: Nave is rubble stone with 5-light Perpendicular west window, north side C15 battlements and 2 large flat-headed C15 three-light windows. Tower has north side ashlar vestry, probably 1843 by G.P. Manners. Rubble stone tower with north stair tower, ashlar C15 bell-stage with 2-light openings, battlements, corner pinnacles and recessed spire. Chancel is ashlar, dated 1865, three north side lancets, three east end lancets. South east chapel is ashlar, exceptionally ornamented with large 5-light windows, carved stops to hoodmoulds, carved angels at window heads, moulded plinth, buttresses with buttress- shafts and pinnacles, cornice with gargoyles, carved shields and bosses, richly panelled battlements and ornamented pinnacles over buttresses. East window has canopied niche over. Three-window south side has broader left bay as this is the remodelled C13 south transept. In right bay, fine ogee headed small doorway. Ashlar south aisle has one large 5-light Perpendicular-style window to right of porch and 2-light to left. Plinth, cornice and battlements. Projecting 2-storey porch with similar detail, 2- light upper window and tall pointed arched doorway with reset 1641 plaque over. Outside stairs on west side to fielded-panelled first floor door. Eroded C18 wall memorial. Rubble stone west end with 2-light Perpendicular window. Interior: fan-vaulted canopy over door in porch, Tudor-arched doorway. C14 south arcade of 4 bays with octagonal piers and moulded arches. C15 low pitched roof with arched braces from carved head corbels. Similar corbels in south aisle but flat ceiling. C13 two hollow-moulded arches under tower, C15 small north side plank door. Former south transept has 1492 tierceron vault with curious centre pendant, and Perpendicular arch to 2-bay south east chapel, ornamented with fleurons. In chapel, two similar north arches to chancel. Two canopied niches, one on south wall, one on east. Exceptional panelled and painted roof with moulded beams, shields in panels and arched braces each side from 6 carved corbels. C15 renewed wooden screens to west and north arches. Chancel has 1865 shafted north windows and elaborate shafted five-arch east wall, renewed 1865, two small pointed arches flanking 3 arches framing east windows. 1865 stencil decoration. Furnishings: 1843 stone pulpit by G.P. Manners, octagonal font with pendants. Stone 3-panel carved reredos 1910. Glass: one south east window has c1492 glass in traceried head. Fine c1870 east window by Burne Jones for Morris & Co., west window signed W.H. Constable 1879, to T. Moore, the poet. East window of south east chapel c1885. Monuments: Exceptional series in south east chapel including tomb-chest of Sir R. Tocotes died 1457 with alabaster effigy, north east tomb chest with fan-vaulted canopy and kneeling brass image to Elizabeth Beauchamp c1492, south east tomb chest with canopy and mixed Renaissance and Gothic detail, to Sir Edward Baynton died 1593. Brass to John Baynton (died 1516). East arcade with plain plaques to various Bayntons and Baynton-Starkys from C17 to C20. Under tower incised C17 plaques to Mary and Ferdinando Hughes, one with skeleton and shroud. North side memorial to J. Banks died 1772. Nave north wall has 2 large C19 Gothic memorials to the Gaby family of Westbrook and early C17 plaques to E. Richardes and M. Seagar. South aisle fine marble memorial to Sir W. Norris of Nonsuch, died 1730, and draped plaque signed Ford of Bath to J. Andrews, died 1763. (N. Pevsner, Wiltshire, 1975 148-9)

Listing NGR: ST9632065184

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

311176

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, (1975), 148-9

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.