Details
SY 6399 SYDLING ST NICHOLAS . SYDLING CHURCHYARD
12/192 Parish Church of
26.1.56 St Nicholas
GV I
Parish Church. Early C15 west tower, mid C15 rebuilding of
nave and chancel on and near C13 foundations. South aisle
added c 1500. North porch, c 1500. Rubble-stone and flint
walls, with local stone and Ham stone dressings, Slate and
lead roofs. West tower has set-back buttresses, 3 stages,
embattled parapet with gargoyles, C18 pinnacles and panelled
pedestals at the top of the buttresses. West doorway has top
member of the plinth carried over as label, the arch has carved
paterae. West window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with vertical
tracery in a pointed head, with moulded reveals and label.
Bell-chamber has in the east, north and west walls a window
of 2 trefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with
a label, the window in the south wall has been blocked. Newell-
stair-turret in the north-east corner with internal access.
Nave, of 5 windows, (4 bays internally), buttressed between
the windows, each of 3 pointed lights with vertical tracery in
a pointed head with moulded reveals and a label. The north
doorway has moulded jambs and 4-centred head. The chancel,
has only one 3-light east window, north doorway. Rebuilt by
Sir William Smith, mid C18. The south aisle has diagonal
corner buttresses, and two heavy buttresses, added in C17.
Slightly embattled brick parapet and pinnacles, C18. South
walls, windows similar to north wall. North porch: outer
archway with moulded jambs, pointed arch and label with
returned stops. Embattled parapet has panelled bases for
pinnacles and large gargoyles at the angles. The middle merlon
has a Cl7 carved mitre from elsewhere. Interior: south arcade
has pointed, moulded arches springing from moulded and shafted
piers with capitals and bases. East of the arcade is a door-
way to the former rood-loft. Roofs, nave, trussed-rafter type,
ceiled on the soffit, ribbed and bossed at the intersections.
Porch roof, late C15, 2 bays, moulded principal, ridge and
purlins. Fittings: Fonts: crudely cut circular bowl, with
moulded reeded band, and lower edge, polygonal stem and
chamfered base, c C12. Loose in nave, plain octagonal bowl,
C15. Monuments: in chancel, very fine assembly of wall-
monuments to Smith family, mid C18 to mid C19, on north and
south walls. (RCHM) Wall monuments in nave and south aisle.
For Brackets, Niches, Chests, Glass, Hatchments, Panelling,
Screen, see:
(RCHM Dorset I, p231(1). "Excavations in the Nave of the
Parish Church of Sydling St Nicholas, Dorset," A H Graham,
in Procs. D.C.H.A.S. vol. 104, 1982, 127-136)
Listing NGR: SY6301199278
