St. Nicholas' Church, Fyfield
St. Nicholas' Church in Fyfield consists of a chancel 32 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft., nave 45 ft. by 20 ft. 6 in. with north aisle 14 ft. wide, south transept, south porch and west tower. The measurements are internal. The west end of the nave is of about 1210, and a doorway of the same date has been reset in the north aisle. The rest of the church was almost entirely rebuilt in the 14th century, possibly by Sir John Golafre, lord of the manor, who died in 1363, the north aisle and south transept being then added. The north arcade was rebuilt in the 15th century and the lower part of the west tower was perhaps built at the same period, but the octagonal upper stages are modern. In 1899 the foundations of an older tower were found close to the south-west angle of the nave. The church was burnt out in 1893 and all the woodwork destroyed; it has since been restored. The chancel has a 14th-century east window of four lights with net tracery in a pointed head and a chamfered rear arch. In each side wall there are two windows of the same date, all of two lights with a quatrefoil in the pointed head. Between the southern pair is a priest's doorway, and further east are three sedilia, each with a cinquefoiled ogee head and divided by octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases; the piers are modern, but the east jamb is original. The elaborate piscina further east has a traceried head under a crocketed gable with side shafts springing from grotesques and finished with crocketed pinnacles. On the east window sill is a moulded and embattled cornice with a cresting of running vine-leaf ornament; in the centre rises an octagonal stone tabernacle with open cinquefoiled arches in each face, with brackets for figures; a large pier in the middle evidently supported a second tabernacle above. The vine cornice appears to be a later addition. The trussed rafter roof is modern and rests on a restored stone cornice enriched with ball flowers. The pointed chancel arch is modern, as is the oak screen below it, but both reproduce the old work destroyed in the fire. The nave has a 15th-century north arcade of four bays with two-centred arches and tall piers having moulded capitals and bases; the columns and responds are modern, but the arches are largely ancient, and in the east respond is a shallow restored niche and bracket for an image. In the south wall is a modern pointed arch of two chamfered orders opening into the south transept. The south door is modern, and further west is a 14th-century window of two lights with modern tracery. In the west wall is a doorway of about 1210, somewhat restored and now opening into the tower; it had a deeply moulded arch and two side shafts to each jamb with foliage capitals and moulded bases. The nave roof is quite modern and the barrel-vaulted south porch is of early 19th- century date. The north aisle has 15th-century east and west windows of three lights with tracery in pointed heads. In the north wall is a three-light 15th- century window with restored mullions and a square head. The north door in the third bay is now blocked and has a moulded semicircular arch of about 1200; it had formerly side shafts, of which only the capitals with early foliations remain. In the fourth bay is a square-headed two-light window of the 14th century. In the north-east respond of the arcade are traces of the rood-stair door, and beside it is a restored piscina. Opposite, in the north wall, is a moulded image bracket. The two eastern bays of this aisle form the Golafre chapel and are inclosed by modern parcloses of oak, reproducing the old wood- work. The south transept is entirely refaced exter- nally and has a modern window in the south wall and a modern roof. The west tower, square below and octagonal in the two upper stages, has a four-centred west doorway with square label. The stage above has a 15th-century cinquefoil-headed light on the west. Against the north wall of the chancel is a hand- some canopied tomb, said to be that of Lady Katharine Gordon and her husband Christopher Ashton (1537) the front is richly panelled in four compartments, the cusped panels running diagonally. The slab is plain, with a moulded edge, but the ashlar wall at the back has the indent of the brass of a kneeling figure in armour with wife and children, scrolls, shields and in- scription; the flat-topped canopy has a vine-leaf cornice and a cresting of Tudor flower, with a four-centred arch below and pierced traceried spandrels. At the sides are octagonal shafts with panelled faces and the soffit of the canopy has a carved boss with the sacred initials. Against the north wall of the Golafre chapel is the handsome, but damaged, monument of Sir John Golafre (1442). It is an altar tomb with an embattled cornice carried round the edge and enriched with numerous shields, formerly coloured, but now blank. The slab rests on two open arches at the sides and one at each end; the piers are buttressed and the flat arches are cusped at the spring only. Above is the freestone effigy in 15th-century armour, with the arms gone, and the damaged feet resting on two dogs; the head is supported by two angels. Below the slab is an emaciated figure in a shroud. In this aisle there is also a carved achievement of the arms of Perrott impaling Dale, and on the west wall a white marble tablet to William son of James Perrott (1664), with their arms; there are remains of another marble monument, with the Perrott arms, against the north wall. On the floor are numerous fine marble floor slabs to members of the White family; they include Jane (Malet) wife of Charles White (1661), with a shield of White impaling Malet; Charles son of Thomas White (1662), with the White arms; Mary (Southby) wife of Francis White (1688), with a shield of White impaling Southby; and others of the 18th century. The font is only partly old, and has a fleur de lis and cusping on each face of the stem; the ancient bowl lies in the churchyard. Against the north-east respond of the arcade is a 15th-century stone lectern with a panelled stem and table with quatrefoils round and having a blank shield in front. There are two modern bells. The plate includes a modern cup and paten. The old registers, commencing in 1583, were almost entirely destroyed in the fire. Historical information about St. Nicholas' Church is provided by 'Parishes: Fyfield', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 344-349. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp344-349 [accessed 3 March 2023]. St. Nicholas' Church is a Grade II* listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS, Fyfield and Tubney - 1368546 | Historic England. For more information about St. Nicholas' Church see Parishes: Fyfield | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk). |
