Description

CURDWORTH CHURCH LANE
SP19SE
4/57
Church of St. Nicholas and
08/09/61 St. Peter
- II*
Church. Late C12, partially refenestrated in the early C14; a major addition was
made in the late C15; restored in 1800 and 1895. C12 coursed rubble and C15
ashlar; plain tile roof. West tower with diagonal buttresses, 3-bay nave
formerly 2, and 2-bay chancel. West tower: C15. 4 stages: plinth with moulded
coping, moulded fourth stage string and parapet string, crenellated parapet with
corner finials and continuous coping to merlons and embrasures. 4-centred
western doorway with 2 roll-moulded orders and heavily crocketed hood mould.
4-centred window above of 3 trefoil-headed lights, porch tracery and plain hood
mould returned to the sides as a string. To each side of the window is a carved
rosette. 2-light transomed windows to third and fourth stages with 4-centred
heads and heavily crocketed hood moulds. Below the third stage is another pair
of carved rosettes. Nave and chancel: C12. Pilaster buttresses at the bay
divisions and corners. The nave was extended to the west when the tower was
built and is partly constructed of re-used C12 masonry. The C12 north and south
doorways can still be traced though both are blocked. The former retains its
round arch and the latter its flanking shafts. To the right of the north doorway
is a second blocked entrance, this one has a pointed head and is probably C14.
It corresponds to the C14 doorway that was inserted immediately west of the C12
south entrance. The tracery of the nave windows has been replaced in the C19 but
may reflect the C14 patterns. On the north side there are 2 pointed windows both
with Decorated style tracery; the easternmost retains its C14 hood mould. To the
right of this window is a C12 loop, the stonework of which has been renewed in
the C19. There are 3 pointed windows to the south, the eastern one has
Perpendicular style tracery and retains its C14 hood mould terminating in carved
human heads. C15 south porch, the upper parts rebuilt in 1800. C12 loops survive
in the chancel, two to the north and one to the south. Also on the south side is
a C14 door with segmental pointed head, an early C14 two-light window with
reticulated tracery and a hollow-chamfered hood mould terminating in carved
heads, and an early C15 two-light window with Perpendicular tracery. Pointed
east window of 4 lights with intersecting tracery, segment-moulded mullions and
surround and a hollow chamfered hood mould with carved heads at the apex and as
stops. Interior: high pointed tower arch of 2 orders, the inner ogee-moulded and
interrupted by moulded imposts, the outer sunk chamfered and continuous. 2-stage
high tower chamber with timber-framed ceiling supporting the floor of the third
stage. Late C19 arch-braced collar roof over the nave with moulded braces and
purlins. Chancel arch of circa l170-90 with inner keeled roll and outer chevron
moulding springing from 2 pairs of shafts with waterleaf, palmette and scalloped
capitals. To the right of the arch is an early C15 pointed opening or squint of
2 trefoil-headed lights surmounted by supermullions which contain a quatrefoil.
To the left of the chancel arch is a C19 copy of the same. Over the arch is a
C19 organ gallery. Fittings: composite font. C12 basin extravagantly carved with
the lamb, a winged monster, 2 pairs of men holding books, probably the
Evangelists, an atlas and other figures and foliage. The base is the inverted
bowl of another C12 font, and the stem is late C19. Square panelled pulpit, C19
but incorporating some earlier material. Around all surviving C12 windows are
the remains of C13 mural paintings. The south window of the chancel has leaves
and tendrils on the rear arch and just below springing level bands of Lombardic
letters, and below these, figures of saints. A siminlar arrangement was employed
on each of the other 3 windows. On the ledge of the north-east nave window
embrasure is a C15 image niche with trefoiled ogee head and tall traceried
gable. On the same window ledge are 3 medieval tiles. One has an alphabet,
another a King's head and the third a flower. On the ledge of the south-east
nave window embrasure are 2 pieces of medieval sculpture, one a bracket
supported by an angel, the other probably the Archangel Gabriel in the
traditional attitude of annunciation. Over the south door is a cloth bearing the
Tudor royal arms with lion and dragon as supporters and the initials E.R. Royal
arms in the tower of 1822, painted on canvas.
(Buildings of England: Warwickshire: pp284-5; VCH: Warwickshire: Vol IV, (1965),
pp65-7)

Listing NGR: SP1779292811

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Nicholas and St Peter ad Vincula, Curdworth at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117663

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)