Description

SO 93 SW ASHCHURCH ASHCHURCH VILLAGE

4/8 Church of St. Nicholas

4.7.60

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C12, C13, late C14, and C15, restored 1889
and 1931, small mid-late C20 extension. Nave; random limestone.
Clerestory; coursed squared and finely dressed limestone and
sandstone. South porch and tower; large blocks coursed finely
dressed limestone. Artificial stone slate roof to chancel. Leaded
roof to nave. Red tile roof to C12 nave with C15 clerestory. Nave
south wall; two raking buttresses (possibly added C14). Narrow
C12 round-headed window with cable moulding at top. Early studded
plank door with strap hinges and later fillets within a pointed
casement-moulded surround within porch. Outer order of doorway C12
with chevron and pellet decoration and hoodmould with incised
decoration and scrolled stops. Part of C12 impost with ogee-curved
incised decoration remains on left. Two 3-light windows with
trefoil-headed lights within chamfered stone surrounds to right of
porch. Two-light window with trefoil-headed lights with carved
spandrels left of porch. Three, 3-light clerestory windows with
trefoil-headed lights and carved spandrels. Battlemented parapet.
Projecting C14 porch off-centre left with moulded plinth and C18
fielded panelled double door pointed-arched entrance with casement
moulded surround with stopped hood. Two-light window within
pointed-arched surround in gable, formerly lighting an upper
chamber above (floor now removed). Similar windows to ground floor
in sides of porch. Single light windows in side walls of former
upper chamber. Square block sundial with metal gnomon at apex of
roof. Stone bench seats along side walls within porch. Defaced
ogee-curved stoop right of door. Free-standing segmental-headed
headstone below stoop to Ralph Leynes of Northway, died 1644.
Buttressed late C13 north aisle/chapel. Two 2-light windows with
carved spandrels. Low flat-chamfered pointed arched north doorway
with brick blocking. Three-light pointed window at east end.
Small C20 extension at west end. South wall of chancel; flat-
chamfered plinth with raking buttresses and early C14 pointed
window at east end of chancel. Two 2-light windows within
rectangular surrounds in north and south walls. Late C14 three
stage tower with diagonal buttresses and moulded plinth. C14
three-light pointed window at west end. Two-light belfry windows
with stone louvres. Battlemented parapet with crocketed pinnacles
and string with eroded gargoyles. Flat coping with cross saddles
at gable ends of north aisle/chapel. Saddleback coping and ball
finial at gable end of chancel.
Scraped interior: Nave with north aisle, chapel of St. Thomas at
east end of north aisle, chancel and west tower. Six-bay nave
arcade with C13 six-bay nave arcade with octagonal piers and
pointed arches. Two flying buttresses (dating from 1888
restoration) in north aisle supporting the arcade wall. Blocked
segmental-headed north doorway. Tall double-chamfered arch with
imposts from nave to tower. Traces of wall painting comprising a
simple foliate motif in red on arch. Early plank door within flat-
chamfered surround giving access to tower left of archway. Nave
roof; C19 with king post and raking struts. Chancel; lower part
of three arch-braced tie beam trusses visible (upper part obscured
by a plastered ceiling). C19 brattished wallplate. Roof of
chapel/north aisle with massive tie beams and brattished wallplate.
Simple corbels lower down wall of chapel and north aisle indicate
the roof once had braced supports. One possibly reused corbel
decorated with carved face (now defaced). Flagged floor.
Furniture and fittings: Octagonal stone font towards west end of
nave with C14 limestone pedestal and plinth. C19 pews and choir
stalls with blind tracery. C19 multi-facetted pulpit with sides
with pierced tracery. Fine C15 wooden rood screen with coved
projecting canopy. Finely carved pierced tracery with vine scroll
motif. Painted Tudor frieze at wallplate level of chapel,
continued for short distance into aisle. Frieze painted to give
panelled appearance with small sun at the centre of each 'panel'.
Frieze includes portraits one with the initials 'R.G.' another the
word 'GRACE' in background. C19 wooden communion rail. C19 altar
table. Two fine C16-early C17 chairs, one with the dragon motif
and 3 high-backed late C17-early C18 chairs. Fine C17 carved altar
table with frieze with dragon motif in chapel. Early parish chest
in north aisle with traces of 3 locks. Royal arms of George I on
canvas over nave arcade. Large C17 carved panel with guilloche,
vine scroll motifs and arcaded blind panels containing single
flower motifs on nave north wall. Monuments, nave south wall;
marble monument to William Ferrers, second son of Roger Ferrers of
Fiddington Court (q.v. Manor Farm, Fiddington), died 1625,
comprising a round-headed alcove painted bust. Inscription and
alcove outlined in goldleaf. Small brass to Robert Baker, died
1671 with inscription in rhyming verse and two C19 brasses.
Monuments on north wall of chancel; two Cl9 monuments one to
members of the Ruddle family of Walton House. Ledger set in north
wall of chapel to George Banaster, died 1734 and Sarah, his wife,
died 1729. Ledger on north wall of north aisle to William Haynes
of Ashchurch died 1654 and his wife died 1652. Marble ledger to
Thomas Smithsend, died 1717, to right of tower arch. Numerous C19
and C18 ledgers at west end of nave. C18 and cl7 ledgers at east
end of north aisle. Rectangular brass plaque to Roger Ferrers,
citizen and merchant of London, died 1636, fixed to C20 choir
stall. Brass to Thomas Ferrers, died 1583, and Ane, his wife, died
1605 fixed to choir stall opposite. Stained glass in east window
by Hardman, other windows mostly by Kempe. Some quarries of
possibly late C14 glass at west end of north aisle.
(D. Verey, The Buildings of England, the Vale and the Forest of
Dean, 1980; and V.C.H., Vol VIII, p 186)

Listing NGR: SO9275833414

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Nicholas official website
• Wikidata Q17538587

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)