Parish Church of St Nicholas

Details

GLATTON CHURCH ROAD TL 1486 (South-East Side) 13/11 Parish church of St Nicholas 13.12.57 GV I

Parish Church. Nave arcades c1230-40, late C13 north transept. Early C14 chancel and south aisles/in late C15 the chancel partly rebuilt and lengthened, the nave arcade and clerestory and the upper walls of the south transept heightened. West tower: arches late C14; late C15 or early C16 upper stages. Early C16 north aisle extended westwards, south aisle lengthened and widened. Early C16 vaulted north vestry, rood loft and staircase. Roof of north transept renewed 1701. Restoration, 1869. Walls of limestone rubble with reused Ketton and Barnack stone; Ketton ashlar to chancel walls; dressings of Barnack and Ketton stone. Lead covered roofs. South elevation: west tower of three stages with ground stage enclosed by north and south aisles and clerestory continuing westwards on the north and south walls up to the second stage; moulded plinth and embattled parapet with a gargoyle to each centre and band of quatrefoils below, large heraldic beasts to each corner, clasping buttresses rise to third stage; second stage with clock face, third stage belfry window of four transomed lights in a four-centred arch with traceried spandrels and moulded square headed label with beast stops. Embattled clerestory with three windows (and a similar fourth window in first stage of tower) with three cinquefoil lights and vertical tracery in four-centred heads. South aisle with moulded plinth and embattled parapet with strings below of C14 grotesque faces and ball-flower ornament; three reset C14 windows of two pointed lights with a pierced spandrel and moulded label; south doorway C15 with moulded jambs, four-centred head and moulded label. chancel, late C15 cinquefoil-light window with trefoil spandrels in a four-centred head with moulded label, still stepped to earlier low-side C14 window with two pointed lights pierced spandrel and two-centre head with moulded label and carved stops. Interior: north and south arcades almost similar, of three bays c1230-40 heightened and rebuilt with semi-circular arches of two chamfered orders, piers and responds with C15 moulded octagonal capitals and C13 moulded bases. In the north-east angle of the nave is the C16 rood-loft doorway. Tower arches; two-centred of two orders with moulded label to the nave, the chamfered inner order springs from semi circular attached shafts with moulded semi octagonal capitals and bases, the north and south arcades have two additional chamfered orders. Chancel arch; late C15 of two moulded orders, the outer springing from chamfered responds and the inner from attached semi octagonal shafts with moulded capitals. The north C16 doorway has moulded jambs and a four-centred head with oak studded door and with integral vertical ribs and strap hinges. North vestry; vault of two bays with quadripartite vaulting, the moulded ribs springing from semi octagonal moulded corbels, one original east window of two trefoiled light, and doorways with chamfered jambs and two-centred head blocked square headed north window. Former chamber over the Vestry with entry from the rood stair. Roofs; to chancel incorporating some c1500 timbers, nave roof of three bays inscribed 'ANNO 1615' with moulded tiebeams, moulded purlins, wall plates and short king posts, each tie beam carved with a heart and wheel on each face; north transept roof c1700 with cambered chamfered tie beams, chamfered ridge and purlins; north and south aisle pent roofs c1700, south aisle roof inscribed 'R.N.' and 'IH 1701 S.C. W.K. W.M.'. Six brackets, some of carved earlier material. Font, octagonal bowl replacement to late C15 octagonal stem base and step. Early C14 mullioned locker, niches and recesses in north transept and north vestry. Piscina, early C14 with chamfered jambs and trefoiled head. C15 sedillia. Screen to chancel of five bays with wide two-ogee trefoiled arches; seating in nave, sixteen benches with carved poppy heads, C15. Paintings, late C15 or early C16 of St Mary Magdalene and Christ rising from the tomb. Small fireplace to vestry. The transept was used as a school room in the early C19 with a doorway cut through the north wall. For monuments and floor slabs see RCHM and VCH.

V C H Huntingdonshire, p179 R C H M Huntingdonshire, p102 Pevsner: Buildings of England, p247

Inskip Ladds Records. Norris Museum, St Ives. Cottrell, D J (1978) Monumental Inscriptions 1722-1975. H.R.O. Manor of Glatton, estate map, by John Hausted. 1613. H.R.O. Glatton, Holme and Denton, estate map for Wm. Wells. 1770. H.R.O. Church Warden Account Books, 1799-1927. H.R.O.

Listing NGR: TL1536286108

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

400431

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cottrell, DJ, Monumental Inscriptions 1722-1975, (1978)
Inventory of Huntingdonshire, (1926), 102
Page, W, Proby, G, The Victoria History of the County of Huntingdon, (1936), 179
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough, (1968), 247

End of official list entry

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