Details
ST NICHOLAS AT WADE THE STREET
TR 26 NE
(north side)
1/107
Church of St Nicholas
11-10-63
GV I
Parish Church. C12, enlarged c.1200, remodelled early C14 and C15,
restored 1876 (£1000) by Ewan Christian. Flint and ragstone with plain
tiled roof. Chancel with chapels, nave and aisles, south west tower and
south porch. Three stage tower of knapped and coursed with flints,under-
cut string courses, offset angle buttresses to the top and south western
stair turret, rising to an octagonal top stage. The jambs of an unexecuted
window in the tower. West nave window restored late C20 to exact copy of
original, 3 light with trefoils, and ogee quatrefoil amid intersecting
tracery. Two light C14 window south tower wall, with cinquefoiled heads
and cusped ogee head. The tower, by same hand as Herne Church (a chapelry
of Reculver until 1310 like St Nicholas). Restored C14 porch with rib and
stud door in hollow chamfered and wave moulded door surround. Nave and
aisles separately roofed, both with battlements, with plinth and string
course to aisles, the north aisle with offset buttresses. C15 2 light
windows. Chancel and chapels with separate gabled roofs, originally with
lancet windows, 1 survives in south chapel, and jambs of 3 light east window,
replaced by C14 and C15 fenestration, 5 light East window with intersecting
tracery, mouchettes, arched transoms and hood mould. Two chamfered
arches below East window, possibly originally to crypt. Interior:
tower, hollow chamfered ribs springing for unexecuted vaulting resting
on heads and crouching animals, complex mouldings on arches of nave and
south aisle, with roll and hollow mouldings and continuous intermediate
moulding. Octagonal responds with chamfered bases and moulded capitals.
Nave with C14 north arcade of 5 double chamfered arches on octagonal piers
with moulded bases and capitals. Four bay south arcade, the western arch
a cramped version of north arcade, the other 3 bays of c.1200, round arched
piers and eastern responds. Angle rolls, the eastern arch with dogtooth
and archlets and crocketed capital (influenced by Canterbury Cathedral)
and spurred base. The other two capitals with carved heads (Green Man
motif). Roof partly of king post construction partly C18 boarded roof.
Blocked rood door half to south arcade, half to nave east wall. Early
C13 chancel arch with beaded roll moulded arch on square responds with
nook shaft and square abaci included bell capitals of shafts. Lean-to
aisles, with C14 chamfered arch to south chapel, and C12 arch to north
chapel. North chapel east window reveal brought down to ground level,
strutted king post roof. South chapel with string course and roof of 3
crown posts. Chancel with 2 bay north arcade c.1200 with round pier
with scalloped capital, and unmoulded pointed arches, and single contemporary
arch to south chapel on simple imposts with embattled wall plate, tie beams
and strutted collar beams. Fittings: triple sedilia in chancel, with simple
chamfered elliptical head. Cusped and moulded piscina, hollow piscina with
undercut hood in south chapel and small round headed piscina in north chapel.
Three bay ogee-traceried screens to north and south chapels. Altar made
from table c.1600 with bulbous cup and covet legs.Pulpit on stem,enriched 2 tier
panels, the upper arcaded. Backboard with enriched arched panel in grooved
architectural surround with cornice and enriched frieze and side brackets.
Central cartouche with date and initials: 1615
IS:EE
Chandelier with feathered plaster ceiling rose, crown and mitre attached
to chain. Brass chandelier of 2 tiers of 8 branches over 10. Inscribed
"The gift of Mrs Elizabeth Hannis 1757 - Wm. Gyler Fecit". Ladder
stair to upper room over porch in south aisle. Glass: east window, 1912,
T.F. Curtis (of Ward and Hughes). Brasses: in north chapel. Valontyne
Edvarod, d. 1559. Figures of Valontyne, his wives Joane and Agnes,
a second husband of 1 of them, and several children. 19in. main figures.
Partly palimpsestof C14 brass of Knight. Monuments: Margaret Willoughby
d.1627 (north chapel), black and white marble wall tablet with protruding
bosses and cornice. Elizabeth Dear, d.1721 (chancel). Grey marble wall
tablet, bolection moulded panel with coved and gadrooned base with winged
cherub. Scrolled Ionic pilasters and broken segmental pediment.
Edward Hannis d.l750 (north aisle). White and yellow marble wall
monument, with crossed palms (?) on bracketed, base scrolled plaque with
scrolled pedimented crest with putto bearing portrait medallion.
Napleton family (up to 1755). Brown and white marble wall monument,
with obelisk-shaped background, enriched bracketed base with cartouche,
and scrolled plaque, scrolled pediment and gadrooned urn. Both these last
monuments by the same hand and of very high quality. Edward Bridges,
d.1759 (north chapel). Tomb chest, black and white marble with black
table slab with gadrooned, moulded and enriched corner piers. Thomas
Bridges d.1777 (nave). White and coloured marble wall tablet, on enriched
bracketed base. Winged cherubs, cornice with urn finials and garlanded
achievement. Several other early C19 wall monuments, notably by Longley
of Canterbury, some of quality. Arms of George III and charityboards dated
1772 by south door. (See BOE Kent II, 1983, 437-8).
Listing NGR: TR2662266612
