St Nicholas's Church, Fisherton Delamere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas' Church |
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| Location | Fisherton Delamere, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | 14th century |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Church of St. Nicholas | |
| Designated | 23 March 1960 |
| Reference no. | 1183381 |
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St Nicholas' Church is an old and interesting church located in Fisherton Delamere, a village in Wiltshire, England. It was built a very long time ago, in the 1300s! Today, it's not used for regular church services anymore. Instead, it's looked after by a special group called the Churches Conservation Trust. This group helps protect old churches so everyone can still visit and learn about them. St Nicholas' Church became part of their care in 1984. It's also recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical building in England.
Contents
Church Design and History
St Nicholas' Church sits on a hill, giving it a great view of the River Wylye. The church walls have a cool pattern, like a checkerboard, made from dark flint stones and lighter stone.
Building Through the Ages
This church was built in the 14th century, which is the 1300s. It was actually built on the spot where an even older church, from the Norman times (around the 11th or 12th century), used to stand. The church was changed quite a bit in the 1800s. In the 1830s and 1860s, a person named John Davis helped organize major work. This included taking down and rebuilding the chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar. This work was overseen by W. Hardwick, a surveyor from Warminster.
Special Features Inside
Inside St Nicholas' Church, you can see some interesting historical items.
- Reredos: There's a beautiful tiled screen behind the altar called a reredos. It might have been added during the rebuilding work in 1861.
- Screen: A special screen was designed by Frederick Charles Eden and put in place in 1912. It was meant to be painted, but people in the local area didn't want it painted, so it remains unpainted.
- Font: The font, which is a large bowl used for baptisms, is very old. It dates all the way back to the 12th century.
- Bells: The church used to have more bells. One was moved to Wylye church in 1975. Of the four bells left, two were made in 1745 by James Burrough of Devizes, and the other two were made in 1844 by Mears.
Famous Burial Site
The churchyard of St Nicholas' Church is the final resting place of William Herbert Allen (1863–1943). He was a talented artist who specialized in painting watercolour landscapes. His career lasted for over 50 years, from the 1880s to the 1940s.
Church Parish History
A "parish" is like a local area that a church serves. The history of St Nicholas' Church's parish is a bit like a puzzle, with different areas joining together over time.
In 1929, St Nicholas' Church parish joined with the parish of Wylye. The old house for the church leader in Fisherton Delamere was planned to be sold. At the same time, a part of the Fisherton Delamere parish, south of the river, was moved to Stockton parish.
Later, in 1957, Stockton was also added to the group of parishes. Then, in 1973, a bigger group was formed, including Wylye, Fisherton Delamere, and The Langfords (Steeple Langford and Little Langford). The very next year, in 1974, the parishes of Wylye and Fisherton Delamere officially became one united parish.
See also
