Church of St Nicholas

Details

SP 68 SW SOUTH KILWORTH CHURCH LANE, South Kilworth

5/45 Church of St Nicholas 11/01/55 GV II*

Parish church. C12, C15, restored 1868-9 by G F Bodley. Coursed rubblestone with ashlar dressings. Lead, slate and pantile roofs. South-west tower with broach spire and south porch, nave, north and south aisle, chancel. Continuous plinth. Buttresses with set-offs. C15, 4-stage, tower with clasping buttresses and 3 string courses and cornice below spire. West elevation: chamfered, pointed arch 2-light window with hood formed by continuous string course. Above in 3rd stage, a chamfered loop hole. Above in 4th stage, a chamfered, pointed arch 2-light louvred bell-opening with transom, and hoodmould, the lower lights blocked. North elevation has similar bell-opening. East elevation has similar bell-opening, with above in 3rd stage, a small trefoiled window with flat hoodmould. Roofline of earlier south aisle visible. South elevation has porch with slate roof, coped gable with kneelers and cross finials, and angle buttresses. Double-chamfered pointed arch doorway with rounded responds with capitals and bases, and hoodmould. Chamfered loop hole on east and west walls. Stone seats inside and WWI memorial on west wall. Heavily moulded, pointed arch with hoodmould and C19 double plank doors. Above porch, in 3rd stage, a trefoiled niche with thin colonettes with capitals and bases, crocketed hood and finial, containing an effigy of St Nicholas. Above in 4th stage, a bell-opening similar to others. To west of porch, in 2nd stage, 2 small loop holes, and another in 4th stage. Octagonal, ashlared spire has a WWI memorial clock face on 4 faces, with above, a 2-light gabled lucarne, and above again, a smaller, single-light lucarne. Weathercock. Nave has plaintile roof, coped gables with kneelers and cross finials and a C19 stack rising from north-east corner of roof. West wall has C19, chamfered, pointed arch 3-light window with hoodmould. Above in the gable, a loop hole. C19 north aisle has tile roof and west wall with single chamfered lancet. North wall, from west to east: a pair of chamfered lancets, then a single chamfered lancet, and then another similar. East wall has a pair of heavily moulded lancets. C19 south aisle has lead roof. South wall from west to east: a buttresses, then a large 2-light window with chamfered rectangular frame, in polychrome stonework, then a buttress, followed by another similar window, then another buttress. East wall has a buttress and a chamfered, four-centred arch, 2-light window with hoodmould. C19 chancel with coped east gable with kneelers and cross finial. North wall from west to east: a chamfered, pointed arch, 2-light window in polycrome stonework, another similar window, then a buttress. South wall has a continuous sill band, and from west to east: a chamfered, pointed arch, 2-light window with hoodmould in polychrome stonework, then a chamfered, pointed arch priest's doorway with plank door followed by another similar 2-light window, then a buttress. East wall has a chamfered, pointed arch, 3-light window with hoodmould, a buttress below and buttresses to either side. Above in the gable, a chamfered loop hole. INTERIOR: double-chamfered pointed tower arch opening to north with responds with capitals and bases. A Similar tower arch, with hoodmould, opening to east. String course across west wall of nave. C12, 3-bay, north arcade, with round arches, with circular piers with capitals with square abaci and bases, and responds with impost bands. To east, a 4th bay, occupied by organ, with heavily moulded four-centred arch: C19, 3-bay, south arcade with heavily moulded pointed arches with bases to piers and responds, and continuous hoodmould. Corbel respond to west. Double-chamfered pointed chancel arch with responds with capitals bases, and hoodmould. Chancel has continuous string course. Piscina with cinquefoiled head in south-east corner. Heavily moulded C19 sepuchre with hoodmould, occupied by worn effigy of a priest, in north-west corner. Late C12/early C13 front, capital bowl carved with large shapes, circular base, polygonal plinth. C19 lid. C19 reredos, altar rails, pews, stalls, organ, lectern, pulpit. Part of c1300 stone altar tomb of Richard Wythnale re-used as reredos at east end of north aisle, worn, with 4 panels. Christ crucified on a leafy tree at centre, Angel Gabriel to left and Virgin Mary to right, and to right again, a shield. 2 C13 stone coffin lids, the smaller with worn, carved pattern on lid, at west end of nave. MONUMENTS: brass plaque dated 1663 detailing bequest of John Gobert of Coventry Esq, re-sited on north-east corner of tower. To right, on north wall, 1914-1919 Roll of honour, painted, in glazed frame. C19 square wooden bequest board, painted inscription, on west wall. To right, another square wooden board detailing grant of 1868 made by The Incorporated Society for Building and Churches. Brass plaque on north wall of north aisle refers to rebuilding of aisle, 1836, by Rev Wm Pearson. South aisle has 2 C20 wall memorials to Pownall family, and a late C19 brass wall memorial to east of tower arch. Nave has 2 C19 marble wall memorials above north arcade. That to west 1861, that to east memory of Rev Wm Pearson (d.1847). Chancel has C20 wall memorial on south wall. C19 roofs. Chancel roof repainted 1984. Minton tiles in sanctury, polychromatic in chancel, stone flags in nave, aisles and tower. C19 stained glass in east window of south aisle, and in east and west windows. West window 1869 by Hardman.

(Buildinas of England: Leicestershire: p. 3831

Listing NGR: SP6043981890

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

191461

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Williamson, E, The Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland, (1984), 383

End of official list entry

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