Details
COMBE ST NICHOLAS CP VICARAGE HILL (south side)
ST31SW
6/62 Church of St Nicholas
4.2.58
GV I
Parish church. Norman in origin, chancel and lower stage of tower C13, enlarged and aisles added C15, restored 1836
when aisles extended 2 bays west, roofs renewed, reseated, gallery and screen removed, south porch added. Squared and
coursed local stone, dressed chert to north porch, south porch banded squared and coursed local limestone and chert,
Ham stone dressings, slate roofs, coped verges, monopitch lead roofs to aisles. West tower, 5-bay aisled nave, north
and south chapels, chancel. Four stage crenellated tower, diagonal buttresses to first stage, string courses,
gargoyles, 2-light trefoil-headed louvred bell-openings, 2 single light openings below, small east door with depressed
chamfered head opening, polygonal stair turret in south east corner in 4 decreasing stages rising above tower,
crenellated with moulded cornices and quatrefoil openings, 4 to lower stage and one above, stepped buttresses rising
halfway up lower stage, moulded plinth. C19 3-light windows at west end of aisles, both crenellated with moulded
cornices added when aisle roofs lowered; diagonal buttresses, south front reused 3-light window left of single storey,
diagonally buttressed porch, moulded arched opening and inner doorway with C19 door, gargoyle in porch, 3-light windows
right flanking buttress, hexagonal crenellated stair turret, blocked opening, 3-light windows to chapel south and east,
section of wall at junction with chancel cut back with priest's door, 2-light window south side of chancel, 4-light
east window, 2-light north front, 3-light to chapel with depressed chamfered arch head to priest's door, hexagonal
stair turret, 3-light windows flanking buttress; single storey porch, crenellated with bosses, diagonally buttressed
with moulded pointed arch opening, C19 Tudor style doorway and door, C19 3-light window right. Interior: rendered.
Standard hollow moulded Perpendicular arcade, copied in the 2 west bays, 2 Norman capitals and one column with capital
attached at north-west corner where aisles extended in C19. Pointed tower arch chamfered in 3 orders and lower part
rebuilt. Perpendicular-style oak screen with door dated 1938. Moulded Perpendicular chancel arch; moulded arches with
refoil-headed panelled jambs between chancel and chapels, Perpendicular depressed moulded arches between aisles and
chapels. Hagiascopes set diagonally to give views of the chapel altars from nave. On south wall chamfered pointed arch
to roodstair doorway with arched opening above, stone stairs. North wall, similar opening but blocked, memorial tablet
above. C19 roofs: crown post to nave, monopitch in aisles, king post in chapels, and archbraced carried on corbels in
chancel. Chancel with pointed arch, double roll moulded piscina; console table of stone supported on brackets with
carved faces, probably composed of reused stonework, Minton tiles. Piscina in south chapel, now vestry. Fan vaulted
rood screen, reconstructed in 1921 from original screen of c1480 which was dismantled in mid C19; dated 1921 in memory
of those who died in the First World War. Pulpit composed of sections of rood screen. Circular Saxon font; octagonal
Perpendicular font. collection of memorials, notably white marble convex cartouche, drapped with pettish heads of
Johannes flood died 1714, White marble tablet with terrazo surround erected 1757 to members of the Banner family.
Siailar tablet with open pediment, volutes and putti below, to the memory of the Rev Joel Smith, died 1758. Tablet with
drapped urn to Rev Christopher Tatchell, died 1793, possibly by King of Bath. Oil painting on wood of King David
playing the harp. C19 stained glass east window, eastern 2 bays of aisles with coloured glass. (Photograh in NMR; Anon,
A guide to St Nicholas Church, n.d.).
Listing NGR: ST3014911249
