Church of St Nicholas

Details

FROLESWORTH MAIN STREET (South Side) SP59 SW 3/29 Church of St. Nicholas

11.1.55

GV II* Parish Church. Partly early C13, with much of the later C13, and C15. The tower was rebuilt in 1762. Conservative restoration in 1887-8. Limestone and granite rubble with some ashlar work, also limestone. Leaded roofs. West tower, nave with two aisles and clerestory, chancel. Four stage west tower largely rebuilt in 1762, and dated on the parapet. Banded limestone and granite with ashlar dressings and moulded string courses. Oculus in second stage, lozenge shaped light with quatrefoil above, and in the top stage, elegantly elongated paired foiled lights to bell chamber. Embattled parapet and angle pinnacles with fleurons. South aisle of the C15: coursed and squared granite rubble with hollow chamfered four-centred arch with slight ogee to doorway. Windows are each of three lights, in a late Decorated form. Clerestory is of less well coursed rubble with ashlar parapet and has ornate paired foiled lights with ogee heads set in squared openings. Vestry in angle of aisle and chancel. C15 chancel is of ashlar with embattled parapet continuing across its shallow pitched east gable. Moulded string course. Slim pilaster buttresses. The 3-light windows to north and south have richly moulded architraves and panel tracery. The lines of tracery in the 4-light east window are linked by horizontal bars. Small priests doorway beneath south-west chancel window with moulded architrave and hood mould. Late C13 north aisle is of random limestone rubble. Its 2-light east window has plate tracery, the others are Victorian renewals in a Decorated style. North porch is half timbered on high stone plinth and incorporates two cambered tie beams from a C15 structure, they spring from moulded braces and have flat foliate bosses. Inside, the west tower arch is of the late C13 or early C14. Semi-octagonal responds to a double chamfered archway which is set beneath a higher arch with no capitals or division between respond and arch. Nave arcades of three bays, the north the earlier, of the later C13. Cylindrical shafts with simple capitals support double chamfered arches. The south arcade is probably late C14. The arches are taller, and are carried on slender octagonal shafts. They are double chamfered and the outer chamfer has a moulded stop above caveto moulding to capital. Chancel arch is also of the C13, a wide graceful span, it is not central to the east nave wall. Cylindrical responds with nailhead decoration in the capitals. Doorway to rood stair and upper door to loft survive to north. Small cusped piscina in south aisle. Nave roof has cambered tie beam trusses which are of the C15, moulded and with central foliate bosses. Purlins and ridge piece however are C19 renewals. Wood chancel screen of 1927. In the chancel, the north west window now opens onto the vestry, but all its tracery survives as a stone screen. Two corbel beasts heads from an earlier roof survive. The present roof is early Victorian. Stained glass: in the chancel north-east and south-east windows are fine fragments of the C15, set into a simple C19 design of floral motifs. The early glass portrays animated figures and angels swinging censers. Stained glass in the east window is of 1898 in a painterly style representing the childhood of Christ with various English Saints in the smaller upper lights. Glass in the north aisle east and north-east windows is a war memorial of c1920. The north-east window shows St. Michael, St. George and Christ in a traditional architectural setting with jewelled colours. The east window is more pictorial. The main light shows the raising of the widow Nain's son, and below are two images representing grace and mercy which portray settings of first world war soldiers juxtaposed with images of Christ. West tower window of 1899 in a renaissance style depicts Samuel and David, with angels in the upper lights. South-east window of south aisle, 1902, a Renaissance style depicting scenes from the life of Mary Magdalen, and incorporates a portrait bust of the woman, Mary Wright, whom it commemorates. Tombs: to each side of the alter a pair of C17 tombs, on the right is Francis Staresmore, d.1626. The memorial was erected by his widow in 1631. It is alabaster; the tomb chest with its drape carries a stiff recumbent effigy in armour partly painted. His feet point to the east with a shield of arms as plate against the east wall. On the side of the chest in high relief are the effigies of his 8 children, named on their own inscription plate, 3 girls and 5 boys. Two are depicted in their cradles. On the north is the tomb of his widow Frances, d.1657. This is also alabaster and in a similar style, but the figure is wrapped in its shroud, and only heraldic emblems adorn the base. Victorian font and pulpit.

Listing NGR: SP5031590614

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

191178

Legacy System:

LBS

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.