The Church of St Nicholas is mainly early 15th Century with a 14th Century tower and a late 15th Century north aisle. There are three bells, the oldest of which dates from c.1430 and was cast by Robert Norton of Exeter; it has been calling the faithful for nigh on 600 years.
Recent storm damage revealed a carved stone head hidden inside the 15thCentury wall which may be late Saxon or early Norman and would indicate a much earlier church on the site. Indeed, the earliest Priest recorded is William de Allenstune in 1261.
Parish church. Largely C15 with substantial C19 restoration, date of 1700 on the gable. Flint rubble with Bathstone and Beerstone dressings; slate roofs, gabled at ends.
Plan: Nave, chancel, west tower; 4-bay north arcade plus 2 bays to the chancel (possibly the Denys chantry (q.v. The Chantry); south porch, south-east vestry.
Similarities between mouldings of the arcade, tower arch and chancel arch suggests a major phase of rebuilding in the C15.
Exterior: Chancel with the date of 1700 in gable and the initials EF. 4-light probably C19 east window with a depressed arch and tracery, 2-light south window with a hoodmould and trefoil-headed lights. The nave has a large square-headed probably C16 4-light window with cinquefoil-headed lights and a buttress with set-offs. The south east vestry is gabled with a door on the east side, the shaft of the stack has
been dismantled. South-west porch with a 2-light window on the east return and a one-light window on the west return; wide segmental-arched outer doorway with a hoodmould, stone-topped benches, a medieval ceiled wagon roof and a moulded inner doorway with a 3-centred arched head. C19 or C20 3-light window to the west of the porch. The north aisle has 3-light traceried west and east windows, and 4 4-light
square-headed probably C16 windows with cusped lights, 1 buttress with set-offs and a rectangular stair turret with a 2-light square-headed window to the right of the turret. Moulded doorframe to the priest's door to the left of the turret. 2 stage battlemented tower with a south-east stair turret rising above the tower. The west face has a moulded west doorway with a hoodmould, a plank door, a 3-light west window
with C19 tracery; 2-light cusped belfry opening with trefoil-headed lights and relieving arch, similar belfry opening on north face. The east and south faces have 1-light belfry openings, the east face has a mid C19 clock face to a flat bed clock, the frame signed G. Wadham of Bath.
Interior: Plastered walls, except for the window jambs; probably C15 Beerstone chancel arch with a hollow-chamfered moulding and capitals only to the engaged shafts; C15 moulded tower arch carried on boldy-carved corbels with variants of the green man. 4-bay north aisle, the piers of the same section as the chancel arch, which abuts the arcade rather awkwardly; 2 lower bays to the chancel. Late C19 or C20 ceiled wagon to the nave, medieval ceiled wagon to the aisle and north chancel chapel; C19 2-bay arch-braced chancel roof. Beerstone doorframes, rebated for a door, to the rood loft stair turret. The sanctuary has a trefoil-headed piscina and a probably C17 communion rail with thick turned balusters, returning along the north side. Probably re-cut medieval font with an octagonal bowl with quatrefoils and boldy-carved foilage below the bowl. C19 or early C20 pulpit in a C17 manner; C19 choir stalls and nave benches. The nave and aisle floor are paved with probably early C19 red and black tiles with some C17 ledger stones set in it.
“If anybody would like to expand this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first at churchmicro@gmail.com so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list”