St Nicholas Church, Leeds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church |
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North side of church
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| Location | Leeds, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | http://www.leedskent.org.uk/church.htm |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 26 April 1968 |
| Completed | 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Nicholas, Leeds |
| Deanery | North Downs |
| Archdeaconry | Maidstone |
| Diocese | Canterbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Nicholas Church is a really old church in Leeds, Kent, England. It's part of the Church of England. People started building it way back in the 1000s, and they kept adding to it for hundreds of years! It's so important that it's a Grade I listed building, which means it's a special historical place.
Contents
What Does St Nicholas Church Look Like?
Building the church started in the 11th century, which is over 900 years ago! It's made from local stone called ragstone and a lighter stone called tufa. The roof is covered with flat clay tiles.
The church has a big square tower on its west side. This tower has two levels and strong supports called buttresses. Its corners are made of tufa blocks. The north and south sides of the tower have windows with rounded tops. The west side has two tall, narrow windows and a pointed arch door.
At the top of the tower, there's a wall with square shapes, like a tiny castle wall. This is called a battlement. A wooden spire was added in 1963, looking like one from the 1400s. The church clock was built in the 1730s. Inside the tower, there are ten bells. Nine of them are from the 1750s, and one big bell was made in 1617!
Inside the Church
The main part of the church is built from ragstone with some tufa. It also has clay-tiled roofs. The central area, called the nave, has walkways on both its north and south sides. These walkways are called aisles. The area near the main altar, called the chancel, also has small rooms or chapels on both sides.
The north aisle was built in the 12th century. It has a decorative edge and a low wall at the top. It also has three buttresses and two large windows with a special four-leaf shape called a quatrefoil. The chapel on the north side is from the 15th century and has a three-light window.
The south aisle was likely built in the 12th century, but most of what you see is from the 14th century. It also has a decorative edge and a low wall like the north side. It has strong buttresses next to two large windows from the 1800s. These windows are in the style of the 14th century.
At the west end of the south aisle, there's a porch from the 1800s with a pointed arch doorway. The south chapel is also from the 14th century, with windows from the 15th century. The main altar area, the chancel, might have been rebuilt in the 1500s. It has narrow, round-topped windows at its east end.
Inside the church, the rows of arches on each side of the nave are from the 15th century. They are separated by eight-sided columns with decorative tops and bottoms. The arch that separates the nave from the chancel is also from the 15th century.
There are also arched openings between each aisle and its chapel. The north aisle arch has round columns, while the south aisle arch has semi-octagonal ones. The wall leading to the chancel has small peepholes called squints on each side. The nave roof has special wooden supports called crown posts and tie beams. The chancel roof is curved like a barrel and has decorative carvings.
The south wall of the chancel has three stone seats and a basin for washing holy vessels, called a piscina. You can also find piscina in the north aisle, the south chapel, and near the south door. A staircase from the 1600s on the north wall of the tower leads up to the bell room.
A beautiful wooden screen from the 15th century stands across the east end of the nave and both aisles. This screen has eleven panels with detailed patterns. It has slender columns that support a finely carved fan-shaped ceiling and a walkway from the 1800s. Each chapel also has a screen from the 15th century.
Important People and Memorials
The churchyard around St Nicholas Church has many old tombs and memorials. Seven of these are so important that they are listed as Grade II historical sites.
Inside the church, you can find memorials for several important people. These include William Merden (who died in 1509) and Katherine Lambe (who died in 1514). There's also a memorial for Jane, Dowager Countess of Carbery, who passed away in 1634. Sir William Meredith (d. 1675), Henry Meredith (d. 1710), and Sir Roger Meredith (d. 1738) also have memorials here.
Protecting St Nicholas Church
St Nicholas Church is listed on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register. This means it's a very important historical building that needs special care and attention to make sure it stays safe for future generations.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Maidstone
