Description

CHURCH ROAD
TQ 75 SE OTHAM
(West Side)
3/218 Church of St.
Nicholas
23.5.67
GV I

Parish church. Later C12, C13 and C14. Restored 1864-5 by R. Wheeler.
Tower and north and south walls of nave mixed uncoursed stone rubble and
tufa. Chancel and north nave chapel roughly coursed stone. North chancel
chapel coursed stone rubble. Plain tile roofs. Wood shingles to spire.
Nave, with central south porch. Tower to south-east end of nave. Chancel
continuous with nave. Short north chancel-chapel continuous with north
nave chapel, which stops short of west end of nave. Tower: later C12,
with C16 or later belfry. No plinth, no stages. Pilaster buttresses with
tufa. Cavetto-moulded gargoyled stone string below belfry. Short timber-
framed weatherboarded belfry capped by splay-footed octagonal spire with
weathervane. Louvred wooden belfry windows of paired round-headed lights. One
narrow rectangular lancet with tufa dressings and traces of pointed
relieving arch, towards centre of each face of tower, and narrow, possibly
later, pointed lancet, also with tufa dressings, towards base to south.
Low blocked round-headed east doorway with up-ended stone voussoirs and
plain imposts (one tufa). Slightly projecting rectangular stair turret to
north end of east face, with chamfered stone plinth, stone lean-to roof
and small hollow-chamfered rectangular windows; C13 or C14. Nave: later
C12 or early C13. West gable end rebuilt in C19. No plinth. Tufa string
course to north and south, the former proud. 4-light C19 west window in
a C13 style, with hoodmould. 2-light C19 south window to west of porch.
2-light later C14 south window between porch and tower, breaking through
string course; rectangular, with ogee cinquefoil-headed lights and squared
hoodmould. South porch: C19. Stone rubble, with snecked stone gable and
crocketed bargeboards. No windows. Chamfered pointed-arched outer
doorway with hoodmould. Pointed arched C14 inner doorway with continuous
ovolo moulding, broach stops, and roll-and-fillet hoodmould. Chancel:
later C12 or C13, restored in C19. No plinth. Lower roof and eaves than
nave. C19 clasping buttresses and 2 south buttresses. Three C19 south
windows and 3-light C19 east window in a C13 style. C19 north lancet, and
blocked C13 pointed lancet under eaves, surrounded by C12 or C13 uncoursed
stone rubble. North chancel chapel: C14 or later. Chamfered stone plinth.
2 north buttresses. Gabled. 2-light east window with ogee-headed
cinquefoiled lights and squared hoodmould. Similar north window.
North nave chapel: C14, restored in C19. No plinth. North buttress.
2-light and quatrefoiled north window and no west window. Nave: north
elevation: C13 window of 2 trefoil-headed lights without overall architrave,
above string course, between chapel and north doorway. Moulded pointed-
arched later C14 north doorway with attached shafts with bell capitals
and bases and hoodmould with carved heads to label stops. Enclosed by
rectangular cavetto-moulded outer architrave, with encircled quatrefoils to
spandrels above doorway, and blind tracery above of 4 trefoil-headed ogee
panels. Boarded medieval door. Interior: structure: broad C14 doubly-
chamfered pointed arch with semi-octagonal columns with moulded capitals
and bases, between nave and nave chapel. Moulded pointed chancel arch of
similar date with moulded semi-octagonal columns. Pointed doubly-plain-
chamfered arch with semi-octagonal columns with chamfered capitals and
bases, between chancel and chancel chapel. Doubly plain-chamfered arch
dying into walls, between chapels. Pointed, almost 4-centred-arched
doorway to tower, with continuous roll-and-cavetto moulding. Roof: crown-
post roof to nave of 3 tall, moulded crown-posts set on relatively slender
moulded unbraced tie-beams. Ashlar-pieces, and soffit-morticed sous-laces.
Boarded C19 roof to chancel. Lean-to ceiling of broad chamfered rafters
to north chancel chapel. Nave chapel plastered. Fittings: octagonal early
C14 font bowl with tooled verges, and chamfered base carved with frowning
face, two calves heads and a leaf. Ogee-headed stoup to east of south
door of nave. Shallow recess to east end of south wall of nave, with
inserted trefoiled ogee head. Monuments: monument on south wall of chancel
to Levinus Buffkin of Gore Court, d.1622. Alabaster and touch, with busts
of a man and woman in roundels, with achievements between them and black
inscription panels above and below; all flanked by free-standing consoled
Corinthian columns supporting corniced architrave with rose flowers to
soffits and scrolled and shaped top-plate with achievements. Shaped base
plate. By Maximilian Colt. Monument on south wall of chancel to Thomas
Fludd of Gore Court, d.1688. Rectangular stone panel with beaded edge and
narrow rounded panel above, with achievements. Brass on same wall to
Thomas Hendley, d.1590; two plates, the smaller with inscription, the larger
with kneeling adults and children. Monument on north wall of chancel to
John Hendley, d.1676. Erected by wife in 1678. Black and white marble on
consoled plinth. Rectangular inscription panel with stepped head and
bolection-moulded acanthus-leaf border, flanked by Corinthian columns,
with moulded cornice, scrolled pediment and achievements. Monument on
north wall of chancel to William and Dorothea Henley of Gore Court, d.1762
and 1785. Erected after 1785. White marble. Rectangular panel with
shallow consoles, moulded egg-and-dart cornice and obelisk back plate with
urn, pedestal and achievements. Monument on north wall of north chancel
chapel to Bowyer Hendley, d.1742. Rectangular, with proud inscription
panel, moulded plinth and shaped base plate with cherub's head. Moulded cornice
with achievement. Monument on wall of north chancel chapel to Elizabeth
Hendley, d.1697. Erected 1721. Draped cartouche with skull to base, and
cherub's heads, surmounted by achievements. (J. Newman, West Kent and the
Weald, 1980).

Listing NGR: TQ7890953806

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Nicholas's Church, Otham at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7594941

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

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  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
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