Church of St Nicholas

Details

CHURCH ROAD TQ 75 SE OTHAM (West Side) 3/218 Church of St. Nicholas 23.5.67 GV I

Parish church. Later C12, C13 and C14. Restored 1864-5 by R. Wheeler. Tower and north and south walls of nave mixed uncoursed stone rubble and tufa. Chancel and north nave chapel roughly coursed stone. North chancel chapel coursed stone rubble. Plain tile roofs. Wood shingles to spire. Nave, with central south porch. Tower to south-east end of nave. Chancel continuous with nave. Short north chancel-chapel continuous with north nave chapel, which stops short of west end of nave. Tower: later C12, with C16 or later belfry. No plinth, no stages. Pilaster buttresses with tufa. Cavetto-moulded gargoyled stone string below belfry. Short timber- framed weatherboarded belfry capped by splay-footed octagonal spire with weathervane. Louvred wooden belfry windows of paired round-headed lights. One narrow rectangular lancet with tufa dressings and traces of pointed relieving arch, towards centre of each face of tower, and narrow, possibly later, pointed lancet, also with tufa dressings, towards base to south. Low blocked round-headed east doorway with up-ended stone voussoirs and plain imposts (one tufa). Slightly projecting rectangular stair turret to north end of east face, with chamfered stone plinth, stone lean-to roof and small hollow-chamfered rectangular windows; C13 or C14. Nave: later C12 or early C13. West gable end rebuilt in C19. No plinth. Tufa string course to north and south, the former proud. 4-light C19 west window in a C13 style, with hoodmould. 2-light C19 south window to west of porch. 2-light later C14 south window between porch and tower, breaking through string course; rectangular, with ogee cinquefoil-headed lights and squared hoodmould. South porch: C19. Stone rubble, with snecked stone gable and crocketed bargeboards. No windows. Chamfered pointed-arched outer doorway with hoodmould. Pointed arched C14 inner doorway with continuous ovolo moulding, broach stops, and roll-and-fillet hoodmould. Chancel: later C12 or C13, restored in C19. No plinth. Lower roof and eaves than nave. C19 clasping buttresses and 2 south buttresses. Three C19 south windows and 3-light C19 east window in a C13 style. C19 north lancet, and blocked C13 pointed lancet under eaves, surrounded by C12 or C13 uncoursed stone rubble. North chancel chapel: C14 or later. Chamfered stone plinth. 2 north buttresses. Gabled. 2-light east window with ogee-headed cinquefoiled lights and squared hoodmould. Similar north window. North nave chapel: C14, restored in C19. No plinth. North buttress. 2-light and quatrefoiled north window and no west window. Nave: north elevation: C13 window of 2 trefoil-headed lights without overall architrave, above string course, between chapel and north doorway. Moulded pointed- arched later C14 north doorway with attached shafts with bell capitals and bases and hoodmould with carved heads to label stops. Enclosed by rectangular cavetto-moulded outer architrave, with encircled quatrefoils to spandrels above doorway, and blind tracery above of 4 trefoil-headed ogee panels. Boarded medieval door. Interior: structure: broad C14 doubly- chamfered pointed arch with semi-octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases, between nave and nave chapel. Moulded pointed chancel arch of similar date with moulded semi-octagonal columns. Pointed doubly-plain- chamfered arch with semi-octagonal columns with chamfered capitals and bases, between chancel and chancel chapel. Doubly plain-chamfered arch dying into walls, between chapels. Pointed, almost 4-centred-arched doorway to tower, with continuous roll-and-cavetto moulding. Roof: crown- post roof to nave of 3 tall, moulded crown-posts set on relatively slender moulded unbraced tie-beams. Ashlar-pieces, and soffit-morticed sous-laces. Boarded C19 roof to chancel. Lean-to ceiling of broad chamfered rafters to north chancel chapel. Nave chapel plastered. Fittings: octagonal early C14 font bowl with tooled verges, and chamfered base carved with frowning face, two calves heads and a leaf. Ogee-headed stoup to east of south door of nave. Shallow recess to east end of south wall of nave, with inserted trefoiled ogee head. Monuments: monument on south wall of chancel to Levinus Buffkin of Gore Court, d.1622. Alabaster and touch, with busts of a man and woman in roundels, with achievements between them and black inscription panels above and below; all flanked by free-standing consoled Corinthian columns supporting corniced architrave with rose flowers to soffits and scrolled and shaped top-plate with achievements. Shaped base plate. By Maximilian Colt. Monument on south wall of chancel to Thomas Fludd of Gore Court, d.1688. Rectangular stone panel with beaded edge and narrow rounded panel above, with achievements. Brass on same wall to Thomas Hendley, d.1590; two plates, the smaller with inscription, the larger with kneeling adults and children. Monument on north wall of chancel to John Hendley, d.1676. Erected by wife in 1678. Black and white marble on consoled plinth. Rectangular inscription panel with stepped head and bolection-moulded acanthus-leaf border, flanked by Corinthian columns, with moulded cornice, scrolled pediment and achievements. Monument on north wall of chancel to William and Dorothea Henley of Gore Court, d.1762 and 1785. Erected after 1785. White marble. Rectangular panel with shallow consoles, moulded egg-and-dart cornice and obelisk back plate with urn, pedestal and achievements. Monument on north wall of north chancel chapel to Bowyer Hendley, d.1742. Rectangular, with proud inscription panel, moulded plinth and shaped base plate with cherub's head. Moulded cornice with achievement. Monument on wall of north chancel chapel to Elizabeth Hendley, d.1697. Erected 1721. Draped cartouche with skull to base, and cherub's heads, surmounted by achievements. (J. Newman, West Kent and the Weald, 1980).

Listing NGR: TQ7890953806

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

433200

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1980)

End of official list entry

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