Wilden – St Nicholas

Wilden - St Nicholas

The church of St Nicholas in Wilden is situated in the middle of the village to the south of the High Street. Limited parking is available off Rectory Lane outside the church.

Patron Saint: St Nicholas

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The church consists of an aisleless nave and chancel, south porch, west tower and vestry to the north-east. The chancel is around 31 feet by 15 feet with the nave adding around 55 feet in a width of around 20 feet. The tower is some 9 feet square and around 55 feet high.

The current building dates from C15 although there was an earlier building on the site with a small part of the south wall dating from C14. The building is of cobbles with some ashlar dressing to the buttresses.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Chancel from the south.

The south side of the chancel has two windows surrounding the priest’s door.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Chancel, south-east window.

Whilst they are of similar styles the eastern is wider. Both windows are of three cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery above.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Chancel, south-west window.

The south side of the aisleless nave has three windows, two to the east of the porch and a smaller window to the west.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Nave from the south-east.
Wilden - St Nicholas. Nave, south-east window.

The windows to the east of the porch match the style of those in the chancel.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Nave, south centre window.
Wilden - St Nicholas. South porch.

The south porch has small square headed single trefoiled light unglazed windows to the east and west. The porch, like the chancel has a plain parapet whist the nave and tower are embattled.

Wilden - St Nicholas. South porch.

The western window on the south side of the church dates from the earlier building and is much smaller being of two trefoiled lights with geometric tracery above under a two-centred arch.

Wilden - St Nicholas. South-west window.
Wilden - St Nicholas. West tower.

The west tower is of three stages with transomed belfry openings of two cinquefoiled lights. There are square headed two-light cinquefoiled windows in the stage below the belfry to the north and south.

Wilden - St Nicholas. West tower.
Wilden - St Nicholas. West door.

The restored west doorway has a square head over a pointed arch with carvings in the spandrels with foliage in the north spandrel and an owl in the south. The slightly offset west window has three cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery under a two-centred arch.

Wilden - St Nicholas. West window.

The north side of the church has a similar layout of windows in the nave to those in the south.

Wilden - St Nicholas. Nave from the north-east.
Wilden - St Nicholas. North-west window.

The western window is of a similar size to its partner on the south side but is in C15 style with two cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery above under a four-centred arch. The north doorway is blocked and obscured by the fuel tank.

Wilden - St Nicholas. North doorway.
Wilden - St Nicholas. North centre window.

The two windows on the north side of the church to the east of the doorway are of the same style as those on the south side.

Wilden - St Nicholas. North-east window.
Wilden - St Nicholas. Chancel from the north.

The north side of the chancel is obscured by the modern vestry leaving a blocked two light window to the west

Wilden - St Nicholas. Chancel north-west window.
Wilden - St Nicholas. East end.

The east window is of three cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery under a two-centred arch.

Wilden - St Nicholas. East window.