Description

ROCHESTER COLLEGE YARD TQ 7468 NW 7/16 Parish Church of St Nicholas 24.10.50 GV I Former parish church now the diocesan offices. 1421-3 (dedicated 1423); much rebuilding (including the arcades) after a fire, re- dededicated 1624, restored and refenestrated 1860-2. W end and aisles partitioned in 1970s to form office space. Coursed rubble ragstone; Kent tile roof. NW tower (originally detached to allow for a processional way); nave with aisles, chancel with shallow aisles; vestry to N of chancel. Exterior: W front (facing College yard): NW tower: 3 stages; moulded W doorway with hoodmould (now with fixed glazing); string-courses between all stages, with 4 courses of flint/ragstone chequerboard decoration to lower stage and a band of knapped flint to 1st, below string courses; cusped lancet to 1st stage, similar belfry opening, both square-headed under hood mould. Small light to SW stair. Removed parapet. Vertical masonry joint clearly marks the division between SW angle of tower and later wall connecting it was N aisle. gabled W wall to nave with W doorway similar to tower and C19 5-light Decorated window, framed by buttresses with set-offs. Aisle with plan parapet that returns along S side. C19 perpendicular and Decorated 3-light windows to S aisle with C15 buttresses between. Chancel with many later accretions and some brick patching; the rubble masonry here is random rubble and presumably demotes later alterations (rather than earlier work) which included the reduction of the aisles. C19 5-light e window. Interior: 5-bay arcade rebuilt after 1624 with tall Tuscan columns supporting equilateral pointed arches with quadrant moulding. Chancel arch (on Tuscan half-columns) with cyma mouldings. Plaster ceiling together with the coffered chancel ceiling, late C18/early C19. Aisles divided from chancel by cornice carrying a frieze of swags supported on panelled pilasters, and with little fan vaults, all C.1800. Monuments: 2 small rural monuments with kneeling figures (Thomas Rocke, d.1635 and signed by John and Matthias Christmas; George Wilson d.1629). The Buildings of England volume mentions a good monument by Sir Robert Taylor in S aisle (not inspected). W Window: brightly coloured glass by Charles Gibbs. early C19 octagonal stone font.

Listing NGR: TQ7428468566

External Links

• Church of St Nicholas at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17533444

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
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  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
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  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)