Description

TQ 1795 ELSTREE HIGH STREET
(East side)
Elstree

14/161 Church of
25.2.52 St. Nicholas

CV II

Parish church. Rebuilt 1853 by P.C. Hardwick on foundations of medieval
church re-using some C15 stones and retaining N aisle of 1824 by Lewis
W. Wyatt. Additions of 1880 by A Blomfield and c.1897. Brick faced with
knapped flint. Stone dressings. Tiled roof. Polychrome Gothic Revival
Style. 5 bay nave with N and S aisles. Chancel with S organ bay and N
vestry. Tower to SW. Stone capped plinth, continuous stone sill band.
Random square stones set in flint facing. Stone quoins. Coped parapets
with carved kneelers to all gables. S aisle retains mid to late C15 door
surround: 4-centred arch under a square head with hood mould, half
moulded jambs to chamfer. Rose and shield in spandrels. Single lancet to
left and 2 paired lancets to right, trefoiled heads. Central buttress.
3 gabled dormers, 3 round-headed leaded lights to each. Aisle roofs
pitched just below nave eaves. N aisle: 3 single and 1 paired lancet.
Diagonal buttresses and intermediate straight buttresses. Chancel:
slightly lower than nave, large 5-light E window with ornate tracery.
Angle buttresses. Sill string course returned onto 2 bay organ extension
to S of 1880, twin gables and 2 two light windows with carved stops to
hoods. Angle buttresses. Central straight buttress with gargoyle. To N,
2 storey vestry: entrance to E, to N ground floor paired lancets, first
floor 2-light window with carved stops to hood. Stack to right of gable.
1 storey link to N aisle of c.1897 has 2-light window with lintel
inscribed to honour Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. W end: 4-light W
window with angular tracery and stops to hood mould. Sill string course
steps down to left. Buttress separates N aisle which has a 2-light
window. Tower: angle buttresses. Pointed arch to W entrance with
colonnettes in jambs, gabled head supports a statue in a sculpted niche.
Clock to right of statue. To S a quatrefoil window with gabled head,
slit windows to S and E in upper stage. Belfry over continuous quatre-
foil frieze. Tall openings on all. sides are paired transomed lancets
with trefoiled heads, colonnettes in jambs and hood moulds. Broached
shingled spire. Octagonal stair turret to W, slit windows, finial at
head. Interior: all but W respond of S arcade piers have C15 bases and
lower shafts. Upper shafts, capitals and chamfered pointed arches to S
and all of N arcade are of 1853 following C15 model. Nave roof retains
3 early arch braced collar beams, used as basis for C19 truss. Tall
chamfered chancel arch, no responds, ceiled chancel roof. Chancel floor
steps up in stages to E altar. W bay of S aisle is tower with entrance
from nave, angled stair-turret door to SW. E end of N aisle: entrance to
vestry link, remains of earlier window over door. Entrance to organ bays
from S aisle, responds terminated below capitals. 2 bay arcade with heavy
mouldings from chancel to organ bays. C15 font in W bay of N aisle.
Octagonal bowl with quatrefoils, renewed link to stem which has an
internal pillar cased in a hollow octagonal drum with pierced panels.
Wrought metal work base to chancel screen by A.Blomfield, 1881.
Painted quatrefoils and stars in spandrels of nave arcades and over
chancel arch from 1853 decorative scheme. Monuments: N aisle near font,
alabaster wall slab to Olive Buck, d.1603, aedicular with delicately
carved Arms, ribbon ornament and metric inscription. S aisle to E
of S door, aedicular wall slab to Samuel Nicoll, d.1723. Tower, on S
wall 2 C18 wall slabs, to W.Sharpe, d.1767 and T.Beake, d.1732. C18
coffin plaques to Sharpe family at E end of N aisle. Glass:2 quatrefoils
removed from 1853 E window repositioned in N aisle W bay and S window in
tower.Baptistery window by Sir N.Comper.(RCHM 1910:VCH 1923:Pevsner 1977).

Listing NGR: TQ1789095394

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26468867

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2