St Nicholas Church, Normanton Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church, Normanton
St Nicholas Church from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SK 948 463
Location	Normanton-on-Cliffe, Lincolnshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint Nicholas
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	20 September 1966
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Limestone and ironstone Lead, tile and slate roofs

St Nicholas Church is an old Anglican church in Normanton-on-Cliffe, Lincolnshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical place. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. You can find it right next to the road that connects Grantham and Lincoln.

History of St Nicholas Church
Exploring the Church's Architecture
- Outside the Church: What to See
- Inside the Church: What's Inside
Outside the Church Grounds
Gallery
See also

History of St Nicholas Church

This church is very old, dating back to the 11th century. That's over 900 years ago! Over the next four centuries, people added new parts and made changes.

More updates happened in 1845. A small room called a vestry was added. The chancel (the part of the church near the altar) and the north wall of the nave (the main part of the church) were mostly rebuilt. In February 1974, the church was officially declared "redundant." This means it was no longer needed for regular church services.

Exploring the Church's Architecture

The church is built from limestone and ironstone rocks. These stones are rough and uneven, but they make the church strong. The roofs are covered with lead, tiles, and slates.

Outside the Church: What to See

The church has a main area called the nave. It has three sections, and a row of windows high up, called a clerestory. There are also side sections, known as aisles, on the north and south sides. A small porch is on the south side. The chancel is at a slightly lower level and has two sections. A small room, the vestry, is on the north side of the chancel.

The church also has a tall tower at the west end. The tower has three levels, separated by stone lines called string courses. At the very top, there's a carved stone edge and a plain wall. The lowest part of the tower has a large window with three sections. This window is decorated with round, flower-like carvings. In the middle of its stone design, there's a carved head. The middle level of the tower has a small window on each side. These windows have a three-leaf shape at the top. The top level has two-part openings on each side for the bells.

The north side of the church has two windows with two sections each. There are also stone supports called buttresses. On the west wall of the north aisle, there is a tall, narrow window called a lancet window. The high wall of the clerestory also has two windows. Its top edge looks like a castle wall and has carved shields. You can also see two gargoyles, which are stone figures that drain water. There are bases for tall, pointed decorations called pinnacles, but the pinnacles themselves are gone.

The east wall of the nave also has a castle-like top. It has a cross decoration at the very top of its pointed roof. The east end of the chancel also has a cross decoration and three lancet windows. On the south wall of the chancel, there is a two-part window and a lancet window, separated by a buttress. The east and south walls of the south aisles have two-part windows. The window in the west wall is a lancet window. The south wall has three windows, similar to those on the north side. Inside the south porch, you'll find stone benches.

Inside the Church: What's Inside

Both rows of arches inside the church have two sections. The arches on the south side are in the Norman style. They were built in the late 12th century. They rest on round stone columns. The arches on the north side are from the late 13th century and have eight-sided columns. The arch leading to the tower is from the late 12th century. The arch leading to the chancel is from the 13th century.

In the chancel, there is a piscina and an aumbry from the 1800s. A piscina is a basin for washing sacred vessels. An aumbry is a cupboard for storing them. The six-sided pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) is from the 17th century. Above it is a wooden canopy called a tester. The wooden benches, called pews, are from the 19th century.

Above the tower arch, you can see the Royal arms of King George IV. On the walls of the tower, there is a board from the mid-1800s with the Ten Commandments written on it. There is also a board from 1758 listing people who gave money to the church. The font (a basin for baptisms) is from the 12th century. It is simple, with a round bowl on a round base. The west window has small pieces of colored glass from the 14th century. Electric lights were put in the church to remember John Chambers, who died in the Second World War at age 20.

Outside the Church Grounds

In the churchyard, there is a special grave for a soldier from the Royal Field Artillery. He died during the First World War. This grave is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.