Details
GREAT WAKERING NEW ROAD
TQ 9487
17/140 Church Church of St. Nicholas
27.7.59
GV II*
Parish Church. Circa 1100 chancel and nave, circa 1130 ground stage of west
tower the upper part later the same century. Chancel arch rebuilt C15. Late
C15 west porch with room over C16 south porch. Circa 1843 north vestry. C19
and later restorations. Roughly coursed ragstone flint and septaria rubble
walls. Limestone dressings. Red plain tiled roofs. Chancel, east wall, angled
buttress to north angle. Gault brick to gable apex. C19 east window of 3
trefoiled ogee lights, tracery over, moulded 2-centred arch and label. South
wall 2 eastern restored lancet windows, western C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled
lights, vertical tracery, under a moulded square head and label. C19 north
vestry, plastered brick, east window of 3 trefoiled ogee lights tracery over,
2-centred arch and label, 2 lancet windows to north wall. 2-centred arch to
central doorway. Nave, north wall, eastern window restored C14 of 2 trefoiled
lights, 2-centred arch and label, central wide window, 2-centred arch, with
inserted C18 2-light wooden frame. To the west, high up, is a blocked circa
1100 round headed window and far west, below the eaves a C18 3-light window with
transom. The C14 blocked 2-centred arch north doorway is to east of the circa
1100 window. South wall, the 2 eastern windows similar to the north wall
eastern window. Partly restored C14 western window of 2 pointed lights, under a
2-centred head and label. Mid C13 south doorway, jambs and 2 centred arch of 2
chamfered orders, moulded imposts, moulded label with defaced headstops. C15
door of 5 nailed boards with centre and edge fillets, strap hinges. Scratch
dials to either side of door and remains of stoup to east wall. South porch of
flint and rubble, gabled red plain tiled roof of 2 bays, moulded and cambered
tie beams, moulded braces and wall posts, very small octagonal crown post with
moulded capitals and base, moulded centre purlin. Timber outer doorway, moulded
jambs, 3-centred arch, sunk spandrels, moulded tie beam over. West tower of 3
stages, (approx. 13 1/2 feet square), the first stage circa 1130-1140 with pilaster
buttresses to angles, the 2 later C12 upper stages without buttresses. Bell
chamber, north, south and west face stone windows of 2 trefoiled lights,
segmental heads and labels, east brick window with segmental head and label.
Clock faces below the south and west windows, there is said to be a blocked C12
window in this wall, scarcely visible externally. The north wall also has a
blocked C12 window with a later smaller round headed window set in, and to the
ground floor a C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights under a square head and
moulded label. The tower interior, not accessible at time of re-survey, said to
contain other C12 windows and C15 west doorway with moulded jambs and 2-centred
arch in a square head with moulded label, spandrels with quatrefoiled circles
enclosing foliage. Octagonal weatherboarded spire with splays at tower angles.
The unusual west porch of 2 storeys with gables to west and south. Moulded
plinth. Square headed window to first floor of west face. West doorway with
splayed responds and 2-centred arch, plank and muntin door. Small window to
first floor of south gable, flint band to gable. Said to be a medieval Stoup to
left of stair turret doorway and well preserved timbers in the priests chamber.
Interior:- Chancel:- Boarded barrel vaulted roof. Exodus and Lords Prayer
boards flank the Altar. Piscina in south wall, a recess with no drain, moulded
concave pointed head. Turned balusters to altar rail. C19 south arcade of 2
bays, capitals and bases to octagonal columns, chamfered 2-centred arches. C19
north vestry/Lady Chapel. Of 3 bays, moulded tie beams, tall thin 4 armed
octagonal crown posts C19 octagonal font, cross to west panel. ?C16 chest with
barrel lid and strap hinges. Chancel arch, C15, 2-centred of 2 chamfered
orders, the inner resting on attached semi-octagonal shafts with moulded
capitals and bases, responds except the capitals C13, possibly reset. Nave:-
C14/C15 7 cant roof of 3 bays, that to east boarded. Moulded wall plates,
moulded wall posts rest on stone carved face corbels, of 2 angels with wings and
a man and woman. Moulded arched braces support the moulded and cambered tie
beam, 4 armed octagonal crown posts with moulded capitals and bases. C19 stone
octagonal pulpit, acanthus moulding to rim, floral diapering, moulded soffit,
octagonal stem, moulded base, stone steps. Chamfered 2-centred arch to rood
loft stairs. Traces of painting to north eastern window splay. North west wall
monument to Elizabeth Peart 1832. Traces of ?C17/C18 painted inscription "Come
unto me all ye that are heavy laden" to east of north doorway. A moulded band
from west of south doorway continues through to south of West Tower arch. Organ
1929 by R. Huntingford blocks West Tower arch. Tower arch said to be of 2 plain
orders with chamfered imposts, semi-circular arch. The Norman Font came from
Horndon, Essex, Church during the 1970's. Square plan, north and south faces
with 3 interlocking round headed arches, east and west faces with fluerette
crosses, plain circular central column,angle columns with moulded bases and
cushion capitals, square base. RCHM 2.
Listing NGR: TQ9496287562
