St Nicolas' Church, Abingdon, Oxfordshire |
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St Nicolas' Church in Abingdon faces the Market Place and the old town hall. It is situated on the north side of the old Abbey gateway, opposite the old part of the guildhall. Several historical periods can be seen in the building from late 1100s to c.1500, and a restoration took place in 1880-81. |
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| At ground level there is a Late Norman doorway of late 1100s with blank arcading on either side. Three orders of shafts, an arch with roll mouldings, one with a fillet. Above it is a Perpendicular window and tower of c.1470, although these are not in line with the Norman frontage below. But around the Perp window can be seen traces of earlier lancet windows from the 1200s which are lined up with the doorway below. The Norman frontage in fact protrudes slightly beyond the north wall of the nave, which dates from the same period, so this is a little strange. | ||||
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| The north wall of the nave, outside and in. There are two lancets and traces of a third on the inside. These date the nave to around 1200. There is also a large 15th century Perpendicular window and shallow 16th century chapel on the north wall. | ||||
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| The south wall of the nave and the chancel (see below) were rebuilt in the 14th and 15 centuries after an attack on the abbey by the townspeople in 1327. However, two Decorated windows, i.e. around 1300, remain in the south wall - see second picture, one of the Dec windows is only visible inside. It is blocked by the Abbey gateway. The parapet is of 1881. | ||||
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| The chancel beyond the Abbey gateway, south side and north side. Interior of chancel, and view from chancel west through the nave. Chancel arch probably 14th century | ||||
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| In the shallow chapel on the north side of the nave, the monument to John Blacknall and his wife Jane. They both died on the same day in 1625, possibly of the plague. However, the monument was not erected until 1684 and was moved from the south side of the nave into this chapel in 1881. | ||||
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| Inscription on the monument and further details in the church. | ||||
| Information mainly from the
St Nicholas page in British Listed Buildings. Map More Buildings of Abingdon |
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