FLITT HUNDRED 



BARTON 



The church of ST. NICHOLAS con- 

 CHURCH sists of a chancel, a nave with north 

 and south aisles, and a western tower. 

 It is very irregularly set out, the mean dimen- 

 eions being as follows: Chancel 33 ft. 10 in. by 

 1 6 ft. I^in. ; nave, 55 ft. 4I in. by 18 ft. l in. ; and 

 north and south aisles 8 ft. 2 in. wide. Previous to 

 the thirteenth century the church consisted of an 

 aisleless nave and a small chancel, perhaps of a some- 

 what irregular plan, whose setting out influenced all 

 the later developments of the building. 



In the early part of the thirteenth century the 

 three eastern bays of the present south aisle were 

 added, the east wall of the aisle being some two or 

 three feet west of its present position. Somewhat 

 later in the thirteenth century, but before 1250, the 

 north aisle was built, the church being at the same 

 time lengthened westward, and a fourth bay in con- 

 sequence added to the south aisle. 



The new west wall of the nave seems to have been 

 set out parallel with the east wall, which was not at 

 right angles to the north and south walls, and in con- 

 sequence it has a perceptible slope westward from the 



three on either side, but of plainer design. In all of 

 these the stonework is modern though the openings 

 are apparently old, and the same may be said of a 

 small low window at the south-west and of the 

 small south priest's door. At the east end of the 

 north wall is a tomb recess of the middle of the 

 thirteenth century, with an elaborately moulded seg- 

 mental head and double shafted jambs with moulded 

 capitals and bases. In the south wall are two 

 trefoil-headed piscinae and triple sedilia in which 

 the two western seats are lower than the eastern one, 

 both sedilia and piscinae belonging to the same date 

 as the chancel, that is, the first half of the thirteenth 

 century. The chancel arch, also of the same date, 

 is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, with 

 half-octagonal responds and moulded bases and capi- 

 tals. The angles of the jambs are chamfered, the 

 chamfers ending in a small undercut arched stop. 



The north arcade of the nave is of four bays, with 

 pointed arches of two chamfered orders, circular 

 columns with moulded bases and capitals, and half- 

 octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases of 

 the same form. The south arcade of the nave is of 



\Z^ Century. 

 Early 13* Centuty. 

 Later J3tb - 

 14-- Centuiy. 

 15!!! •■ 

 E3 Modern . 



Plan of Barton Church 



north side. At the same time the chancel arch was 

 rebuilt, together with the chancel, but while the arch 

 was built on the old line, parts of the old east wall 

 of the nave being doubtless retained, the new chancel 

 was correctly set out with regard to its eastern wall 

 and the true axis of the church, with the consequence 

 that the north wall is a foot shorter than the south. 

 In the early part of the fourteenth century the south 

 aisle was lengthened eastward to allow more space 

 for the altar, and about the same time, and also 

 later in the same century, windows were inserted in 

 both aisles. The tower belongs to the middle of the 

 fifteenth century, and was set out from the west wall 

 of the nave and thus irregularly placed with regard 

 to the axis of the nave. The clearstory and present 

 roof are later additions, belonging to the end of the 

 fifteenth century. 



The chancel has three modern single lights in its 

 east wall, of thirteenth-century detail with moulded 

 rear arches and "jambs and an external label, said to 

 have replaced a window of fifteenth-century date, 

 and there are six similar windows in the chancel, 



two dates, the first three bays being early thirteenth- 

 century work, and the fourth of the same date as the 

 north arcade. The former have circular piers with 

 moulded capitals and bases and two-centred arches 

 of two chamfered orders, which are stopped with a 

 roll stop in the case of the middle arch. The 

 responds are of beautifvil detail, with three clustered 

 shafts to the inner order, having early foliate capitals 

 with a common chamfered abacus, banded shafts, and 

 moulded bases. The fourth bay is of the same detail 

 as the north arcade. At the east end of this side of 

 the nave is the blocked upper door to the rood-loft, 

 and in line with it on the north wall a plain corbel 

 to support the front beam of the loft. The clear- 

 story has three windows on each side, plain square 

 openings, with much modern stonework but old rear 

 arches. The low-pitched roof, of the same date, has 

 moulded principals, intermediates, rafters and purlins 

 with carved bosses at the intersections and jacks 

 resting on stone corbels carved into the form of heads. 

 At the foot of each jack is an eagle carved in wood, 

 with outspread wings, and over these the figures of 



3" 



