St Nicholas Church, Sutton, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church, Sutton |
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Edwin Nash |
| Groundbreaking | 1862 |
| Completed | 1864 |
St Nicholas Church in Sutton is a very old and important church. It's located right in the middle of Sutton, London. This church was built a long time ago, between 1862 and 1864. It has a special design called Gothic style. A famous architect named Edwin Nash designed it. The church is so special that it's listed as a Grade II* building. This means it's a very important historical place.
Contents
Where is the Church?
St Nicholas is the oldest of the three churches in Sutton town centre. It is surrounded by an old graveyard with trees. There are also grassy areas with benches where people can relax. Two public footpaths run through these peaceful grounds. The church works with other Christian groups in the area.
A Look Back in Time
The current church building stands on a site used for churches for a very long time. People believe there has been a church here since Saxon times. An earlier, smaller church was on this spot until the 1800s. Most of that old church was replaced by the building we see today. The new church was officially opened in February 1864.
The church before this one was made of stone. It was mostly built in the 1300s or 1400s. It had a tower, a porch, and a special area called a chancel. But the old church was in poor condition. Also, more and more people were joining the church. So, a new, bigger building was needed.
During World War II, in 1940, the church was slightly damaged. This happened during the London Blitz, when bombs fell on London. A flying bomb landed close to the church. It mostly destroyed some graves in the churchyard. But luckily, the church building itself stayed mostly unharmed.
Cool Features of the Church
The church was rebuilt by Edwin Nash between 1862 and 1864. He used parts from the older building. It is built in the Gothic style. The church is made with flint stones and has stone decorations. Its roof is made of red tiles. The main entrance door is a bright blue color.
Inside, the church has a long main area called a nave. It also has a chancel, an organ room, and a vestry. There are side aisles and a chapel. The tower on the west side has a doorway. It also has four levels of windows and a pointy roof called a spire.
The windows in the side aisles have three sections. They have round patterns at the top. The chapel windows have two sections. The chancel window has five sections. There are also covered entrances, called porches, on the north and south sides. The south porch has a special message carved into it. It says: "How amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts."
Inside, the nave has pointed arches. These arches are held up by round columns. The columns have carved leaf designs at the top. The roofs are made of timber. The walls are painted white. The church still has some very old parts from the original building. These include a medieval piscina (a basin for washing holy vessels). It also has old monuments to people like Sarah Glover (from 1628) and Lady Dorothy Brownlow (from 1699).
Famous People Connected to the Church
- William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot (1710–1782) was buried here.
- Joseph Glover was a church leader here from 1624 to 1636. He owned a printing business. His wife, Elizabeth Glover, helped bring the printing press to North America.
