Church of St Nicholas

Details

ODDINGTON LOWER ODDINGTON SP 2325 11/167 Church of St. Nicholas 25.8.60 GV I Former Anglican parish church now redundant. C12, C13, C14, C15 and C19. Coursed, squared and dressed limestone, stone slate roof. C12 nave, now south aisle, with C14 projecting porch, on south, C13 tower at east end. C13 nave north of south aisle and tower with buttressed C15 chancel at east end. South aisle: keel moulded string course, small lancet at west end with keel-moulded, stopped hood. Monument to John Gardner, his wife and four children, with winged cherub at top, 3 carved faces and festoon below, lower right. South wall: 3-light C14 windows with reticulated tracery and stopped hoods flanking porch. Pointed arched entrance to porch with mass dial on left. C13 three stage tower possibly built on foundations of C12 chancel, C14 window with quatrefoil in south wall, lancet window in east wall, lancet windows on each face of second stage, 2-light belfry windows on each face of third stage, embattlemented parapet with gargoyles. Chancel south wall; two C14 lancets, C20 plank priests door within pointed-arched surround. 3 separate cinquefoil lights at east end. Two C14 lancets in north wall. Nave north wall: C20 rectangular casement lower left, partly blocked pointed arched C15 doorway with stopped hood and C19 'Y' tracery at top, 3-light C15 west window. Roof; flat and slightly stepped gable-end coping with roll-cross saddles. Interior: stone bench seats within porch with incised lines where yeomen are reputed to have sharpened their arrows. C12 pointed arched entrance to south aisle flanked by engaged columns with stiff leaf capitals and moulded imposts, keel moulded hood above with beast's head stops, 2 steps down to south aisle. C13, two-bay double-chamfered pointed arched arcade with composite piers and responds with octagonal or semi-octagonal moulded capitals, traces of painted decoration on both arches. Similar but blocked arch with round-headed entrance through blocking to chapel at base of tower, fragment of stone sculpture upper left of pointed arch, C13 pointed arch from chancel to nave with C19 wooden screen inserted. C13 pointed-arched piscina with stopped hood in east wall of chapel. Two original cinquefoil image niches at east end of nave either side of altar. Red and black tile floors to chancel otherwise flag floors. Coved plaster ceiling hides timbers of south aisle roof. C15 roof with braced tie beam and corbels decorated with carved faces to nave. Simple C19 roof with collar to chancel. Wall paintings, very large mid C14 Doom wall painting on north wall of nave. Traces of wall painting on east wall of chapel and above image niches at east end of chancel. C15 octag- onal font with quatrefoil decoration on each face at south end of nave. C17 carved oak hexagonal wooden pulpit with sounding board. C17 altar table, C18 communion rails, C19 chairs and pews C19. C15 oak bench with carved ends in chapel. Monuments etc; wooden ben- efaction board left of west window in nave with details of benefac- tion by Joseph Harvey of Churchill by his will dated 1812. Small square canvas bearing Queen Victoria's royal arms right of window. Royal arms of William IV painted over chancel arch. 3 monuments on north wall of chancel: white on black monument to Rev. Joseph Owen, curate of the parish, died 1826; brass plaque to The Honourable John Talbot Rice died 1899; limestone and marble monument to Thomas Chamberlayne, died 1640 comprising oval plaque with keyed surround flanked by 2 Doric columns supporting an open segmental pediment enclosing a cartouche. Carved bones, skulls, etc., at bottom flanking plaque recording the erection of the monument at the expense of John Chamberlayne. South wall: white and grey marble plaque to Charlotte Rice, died 1832 another to Elizabeth Lenthal died 1830, brass plaque to Rev. Edward Rice, Dean of Gloucester died 1862 below. Commandment boards set in image niches either side of altar. History: church originally belonged to St Peter's Abbey, Gloucester, was ceded to the See of York in 1157 and exchan- ged with the Crown in 1545. In the C13 Oddington was a residence of the Archbishop of York. (David Verey: The Buildings of England, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979).

Listing NGR: SP2348425548

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

130280

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)

End of official list entry