Church of St Nicholas

Details

TG 04 SE SALTHOUSE

3/107 Church of St.Nicholas

4.10.60 I

Parish church,1503, built at expense of Sir Henry Heydon, galletted whole and knapped flint, stone dressings, lead roof. West tower, nave and chancel in one, north and south aisles, north and south porches. Embattled 3-stage tower, C14, stepped angle buttresses, Decorated west window of 2 wide lights with multicusped heads and sextofoil; second stage has narrow slits to north and south, cusped light to west; 2-light bell openings; gargoyle to west; embattlements of pebble flint; polygonal stair turret to south east having brick polygonal roof; stone dressed square opening at base of south face. North and south facades of nave alike, clerestorey of ten openings under pointed segmental heads, each of 2 cusped lights and quatrefoil, eleventh opening to east over chancel of 3 similar lights; four pairs of tall narrow 2-light windows. All windows and porch arch have voussoirs of alternate pale knapped flint and stone; chancel of one bay beyond aisles has Y-tracery window. South porch: round shafts; continuous wave moulding to arch, no return openings; shallow pitched roof with moulded principal beams; side benches of Purbeck marble. Perpendicular south doorway with plain chamfered jambs and treble mouldings to arch, Heydon arms in spandrels, niche above partly covered by porch roof. North porch: as south porch but smaller, benches with ties, plain jambs and moulded arch to doorway. Small flat roofed room in angle of north aisle and chancel with two oblong slit openings to east and C19 2-light opening to north. Large east window under 4-centred arch of 4 transomed lights, upper lights with panel tracery, lower lights with 4-centred heads. Low buttress below east window. Interior: 5 bay arcade north and south of slender quatrefoil piers and double hollow chamfered arches having shields at apices, some bearing the Heydon arms. No chancel arch. Tall tower arch with double chamfers above figure corbels. Window rear arches dropped to form wall benches. Much of floor of original 12" marble tiles, 10" brick tiles and a few encaustic tiles. Double framed nave roof with moulded principal beams (chancel roof renewed), fretwork frieze of shields and quatrefoils, wall posts for principal rafters supported by embattled stone corbels with blank shields; aisle roofs arch braced. Octagonal font standing on high octagonal steps, evangelists' and passion symbols on faces, square stem with grinning lions at angles, some early C16 poppy head bench ends incorporated into C19 benches and choirstalls. Screen: remains of painted screen, traceried panels painted with saints and prophets defaced, 4 double panels either side of nave to west dated 1513, 2 double panels to south aisle chapel, fragments of screen tracery under tower, parts of screen randomly incorporated into choir stalls. Choir stalls and rear of screen panels with super-imposed graffiti of ships from C16 to late C19 brigantines Chancel: ledge below east window incorporates piscina, blocked priest's door to south, part of black letter text dated 1638 on north wall (Malachai III 12), small stone mensa of C16 incorporated into C20 altar. South chapel: C17 table, top renewed, with strapwork frieze, piscina with spandrels having sculptured flowers. Polygonal base of piscina, perhaps from ruined medieval chapel in churchyard, (q.v. 3/108) inserted in north pier by chancel; 4-centred arch to doorway of sacristry in angle of north aisle and chancel. C18 pulpit of walnut, now on concrete base.

Listing NGR: TG0761743678

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

224642

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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