Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS (275467)

In the entry for: FRIARS ROAD 1. 1260 19.12.51 Church of St Nicholas TM 1644 SW 3/85 B The grade shall be upgraded to 2* (star) The description shall be amended to read: Church. Circa 1300, C15, refitted 1849 by W. R. Moffatt, the tower partly rebuilt 1886 by E.F. Bisshopp. Flint, stone, red brick, stone dressings, plaintile roofs,the aisles leaded. West tower, continuous nave and chancel, north and south aisles, south porch north vestry. Tower, C15, 4 stages, the belfry stage and embattled parapet rebuilt 1886 by E.F. Bisshopp. Stepped diagonal buttresses with flushwork panels; stair turret in South East angle. West doorway multiple continous orders, one order with fleurons & shields, shield and figures in the spandrels, hood moulded terminating in crowned and winged lion stops. Flushwork cusped panels above, alternately bearing shields. Tall west window, 3-light panel tracery, restored probably 1886, stone cill band and band at stage level, which also continues to North and South faces. Single ringing chamber lights beneath hood moulds. Paned belfry windows of 2 cusped lights beneath vesica and separated by shaft surmounted by a cross. Continous band at cill level and at springing of window arch. Flushwork parapet in 2 stages; a pair of quatrefoils to each side of paired blank arches; above, flushwork panels, with figure to centre of each face. Crocketed finials. Much of the tower refaced by E.F. Bisshopp. Nave. 4 bays.South elevation 2 y-tracery windows, one 3-light intersecting tracery window restored C19, one 3 light C19 perpendicular window. Diagonal buttresses at angles, straight buttresses between windows. C19 brick porch with alternated shaped gable with rendered band beneath coping. Outer doorway, multiple orders, including rounded shaft supporting ovolo moulded arch. Pair of late C19 part glazed doors. Sundial on gable of porch. Inner arch. 2 orders broad roll mouldings with scroll moulded hood with figure stop. Probably C15 full dormer clerestory window but with C19 restoration, lighting rood. North elevation similar but without porch; the north doorway is partly submerged beneath ground level. Chancel. Diagonal buttresses. South: 3-light C19 Perpendicular window. C19 porch and doorway. C19 east window, 3-light panel tracery, with supermullions.and embattled transom. C19 vestry to north has simple 4-light window beneath hood mould , shallow gable to north. Interior 4 bay north and South arcades of quatrefoil arrised piers, with square fillets to the diagonals. Deeply undercut cap mouldings; arch moulding of 2 orders separated by a deep hollow. Chapel at east end of North aisle 1849 by W. R. Moffat of London the arch to this and eastern South aisle chapel probably brought from the chancel. Western responds of arcades rebuilt, probably 1880's. Tower arch, single chamfered respond,multiple moulded arch. 4-central arched tower stair doorway. Tall cusped niche to North wall, possibly reset. Shorter cusped niche or further piscina to east wall of North aisle. Nave collar rafted roof, probably C14, restored 1849, moulded cornice and wallplate. Chancel roof C19; aisle roofs are covered over. Pews C19, probably 1848 by Henry Ringham, incorporating Jacobean style panelling, possibly reused. Fine Jacobean pulpit with tester. Altar rail of early C18 moulded rail, balusters twisted as a vase, the newels heavier, almost with a bulb. Octagonal font, each face a pair of blind cusped sunk panels, flying angels to the soffit of the bowl;the stem probably C19, also octagonal has angel or prophet at each angle; original octagonal base. East window 1904 by William Morris Pepper. South chapel, window, c1875 by O'Connor and Taylor. North and Southaisles2 windows c1910-12 by T.F. Curtis, North Chapel window by King of Ipswich. Tympanum and carved relief, c1120, re-sited in the church. The tympanum, carved on both faces with inscription to main face with boar in centre, the reverse with an interlaced cross. Carved relief, probably from former Church of St. Michael depicts St. Michael fighting the dragon. Bells, one of 1630, by Miles Graye of Colchester, 4, of 1706 by Henry Pleasant of Sudbury. Munro Cantley, H. Suffolk Churches And Their Treasures ,1954; Riches, A. Victorian Church Building And Restoration In Suffolk ,1982 ; Pevsner, N. Suffolk,1974; English Romanesque Art 1066 - 1200 Haywood Gallery, 1984; personal comments, Ipswich Borough Council. 1. 1260 FRIARS ROAD Church of St Nicholas TM 1644 SW 3/85 19.12.51. B 2. A C14 nave enlarged with the aisles in the C15. Flint and stone with stone dressings. It contains Decorated and Perpendicular work. The C15 knapped flint tower has angle buttresses and the upper stage is crowned by a castellated stone ornamented parapet faith corner pinnacles, The south side has a C17 porch and C15 gabled dormers with shaped and carved bargeboards. The interior has a C17 Jacobean altar rail and pulpit, C16 brasses and some C11 or C12 carved stone panels. Christopher Milton (brother to the poet) is buried here. Listing NGR: TM1617344284