St. Nicholas' Church, Tadmarton
The small church of St. Nicholas in Tadmarton comprises a nave and chancel, both with north aisles, and a western tower. The 12th-century church was on the same plan, except that there is no evidence of a tower. Of the original building there remains the north nave arcade, some blocked arches on the north side of the chancel, and the internal jambs of a low-side window on the south side. The church was enlarged in the 13th century: an Early English chancel arch was inserted within the Romanesque one, the chancel was largely rebuilt, and the nave aisle was rebuilt on a larger scale. The nave of 3 bays was lengthened to the westward by the addition of a narrow arch to the nave arcade; and the existing tower was built. At a later date new windows were inserted in the walls: those in the chancel are the earliest, being in the Transitional style between late Decorated and Perpendicular; the rest are Perpendicular. The walls of the nave were raised and clerestory windows were inserted in the south wall; a new window seems to have been inserted at the west end of the north aisle but was blocked up subsequently; low-pitched roofs to the nave and aisle were built; the upper stage of the tower was added; and the original belfry windows were blocked. No major structural changes appear to have been made before the restoration of 1893. Faculties for Richard Brideoake's vault and another one were obtained in 1692 and 1693; a gallery was added at the west end and the tower arch blocked up, probably in the late 18th century; the chancel was repaired c. 1780; some work was carried out on the porch, roof, and north side of the church in 1808; and some new pews of painted deal with doors were added in 1825. The porch was rebuilt in 1850 and the north aisle leaded in 1852. A report on the church in 1867 stated that it 'much needed the work of the diocesan architect', but it was not until 1891 when the church had 'sadly fallen into decay' that plans were made for a general restoration. The architects were Milne and Hall of London, the builder J. S. Kimberley of Banbury. It was proposed to restore the roofs of the nave and the north aisle, provide new floors and stair-case in the tower, remove the west gallery, open up the tower arch, make a new vestry in the tower, repair the mullions of the nave window which had subsided, remove all the interior plaster, and add a new door to the principal entrance. The pews, of which some high deal ones reached half-way up the chancel arch, were to be removed and replaced with chairs. All this work was carried out in 1893. When the plaster was stripped from the chancel the original Romanesque arches were exposed. Electricity was installed in 1916. The 13th-century font with its vigorous row of grotesque heads remains. An aumbry was placed in the east wall of the chancel in 1947. There is a communion table of 1635; the pulpit, lectern, prayer desk, and pews date from the 19th century, but some carved bench ends of late medieval date were preserved as J. O. Scott considered them 'exceptionally good'. The parish chest dates from the 17th century. The arms of George IV hang over the tower arch. The following are among those commemorated: Mary Whateley (d. 1657), the wife of the rector; and L. C. M. Gibbs (d. 1955) of Tadmarton Manor. A stained glass window was inserted by Mowbray of Oxford in 1916. There is a ring of 6 bells, of which 4 were originally cast in the early 17th century and one in 1761. Two of the 17th-century bells were recast in 1923 and 1939 and the treble was added in 1947. The sanctus bell was restored to its original position in 1893. The church has a silver paten and chalice of 1569. The registers are complete from 1548. Historical information about St. Nicholas' Church is provided by 'Parishes: Tadmarton', in A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 9, Bloxham Hundred, ed. Mary D Lobel and Alan Crossley (London, 1969), pp. 150-159. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol9/pp150-159 [accessed 22 February 2023]. St. Nicholas' Church is a Grade I listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS, Tadmarton - 1369852 | Historic England. For more information about St. Nicholas' Church see Parishes: Tadmarton | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk). |
