Description

ALCESTER CHURCH STREET SP0857 (West side) 4/43 Church of St. Nicholas 01/02/67

GV II*

Church. Tower C13 below, C15 above (Buildings of England). Nave and aisles 1729-1730 by Edward and Thomas Woodward. Chancel, north and south chapels, window tracery and restoration 1870 by Preedy. Tower lias ashlar with yellow limestone parapet. Aisles, chancel and chapels limestone ashlar. Tower much weathered, aisles extensively patched and re-faced. Nave and aisle roofs not visible; chancel and chapels have tile roofs with coped gables. Nave and aisles, chancel, north and south chapels, west tower. 5-bay aisles, 3-bay chancel. Perpendicular west door in tower: moulded jambs and 4-centred arch under square head; spandrels with blank shields. C18 double-leaf panelled doors. Tower has setback west buttresses. Semi-octagonal stair turret abutting south aisle, with small arched door. Moulded string courses at springing of west window arch and bell stage. Cornice and parapet, probably C18, with pinnacles at corners and centre of each side. 3-light Decorated west window with flowing tracery, above door. Third stage has lancet on west and south sides, slit window on north. 2-light bell openings with much renewed reticulated tracery. Aisles have moulded plinth, possibly C15 (VCH). Gothick west doorways with double leaf panelled doors. Diagonal buttresses and buttresses between each bay, with C18 Gothic panelled pinnacles. Crenellated parapet c.1870. Five 3-light windows with 4-centred heads and hood moulds, and tracery of 2 alternating designs. C13 style chancel and chapels have angle buttresses with 2 offsets. Chancel has moulded plinth. 5-light east window and hood mould continued across as string course. Single trefoiled lancet to north and south. Chapels have north and south gables respectively. Each has small arched east door; south chapel also has blocked round opening. 3-light north and south windows. Geometric tracery and hood moulds. Gables have stone crosses. Interior: Nave has 5-bay colonnades of stone Tuscan columns and half columns on high bases; coved plaster ceiling. Aisles have flat plaster ceilings. 2-centred triple chamfered tower arch. West window has rere arch. C19 internal porch. C13 style moulded chancel arch with shafts and inner order on colonnettes. Moulded arches chapel arches. Chancel has arcades to chapels of one wide and 2 narrow arches on paired shafts with rings. King post roofs with arched braces. String course at sill height. 2 sedilia and piscina recess. Encaustic tile paving. Fittings: Pulpit and font 1870: stone with relief carvings. North aisle screen has some re-used wood carvings of c.1500 (VCH). Benefaction board, tower south wall: Dated 1683; triptych design with 2 doors painted with inscription, and inside 4 scenes of acts of charity in C16 style. Central section has list of charities on parchment. Gadrooned top rail with modillion cornice, moulded bottom rail on brackets, and additional rail below carved with flowers and foliage. Brass chandelier of 1733 in nave. C19 stained glass. Monuments: Sir Fulke Greville (died 1559) and his wife; effigies with remains of colouring. According to V.C.H. set on chest tomb with inscription, corner shafts and 3-bay sides, shields and weepers. Formerly in north aisle, but dismantled and not in situ at time of inspection. Francis, Marquis of Hertford by Sir Francis Chantrey, south chapel. Signed and dated 1828. Half reclining figure on high base. Sir Hamilton Seymour, tower. Signed and dated Gleichen 1882. Seated figure on pedestal. Wall monuments; John Brandis (died 1724) by Edward Woodward, south aisle. (V.C.H.: Warwickshire III, pp.17-18; Buildings of England: Warwickshire, pp,59-60; Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire 1884, p.698).

Listing NGR: SP0905257471

External Links

• Wikidata Q17551347

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Recommended Books

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas