Witham, Essex

St Nicolas Church, Witham

I had to visit a site in deepest Essex this week so had a chance to look at the large parish church in Witham, near Chelmsford.

The description below is taken from http://www.withamparishchurch.org.uk/historyofstnicolas.htm

The church dates almost entirely from the 14th Century. The nave with the north and south aisles, chancel to the east and the tower at the western end were probably completed in the 1330’s. The vestry and north and south chapels were completed later. The north chapel of 1397 is now a priest’s vestry and the south chapel of 1444 is now the Lady Chapel. The walls of the church are finished in random flint with Barnack stone quoins. The vestry however is constructed of Kentish ragstone.



A late 14th century porch protects a doorway which is thought to have been attached to a previous church due to its 12th Century style. Unfortunately as the porch was locked when I visited I couldn’t see the door nor go inside the church. The battlemarked parapets are later embellishments. There are gargoyles on each side.





There is a peal of eight bells hung in a cast iron frame on steel girders in the sixty five foot high tower. The walls of the tower are four feet thick of flint, stone and Roman brick with huge buttresses at the corners and gargoyles below the battlemented roof parapet.