Churches (11) : St. Nicholas, Beaudesert

St Nicholas Church sits at the bottom of the Mound outside of Henley-in-Arden. The church dates from Norman times and was probably built by Thurstan de Montefort (who also built a castle on the Mound) in about 1170. The sturdy interior possibly indicates the church was built on an earlier site [1] and rope work on the North side of the chancel may be Saxon.

The church consists of a chancel, nave and a tower to the West. The church was modified around the time of the Reformation, there are signs the North wall has been moved reducing the width of the nave. This might have been due to subsidence or unsafe ground. The tower is a later addition, added during the 15th century [2] and made from local grey stone. It is robustly buttressed for its height again indicating problems with the ground.

[1] Nikolaus Pevsner & Alexandra Wedgwood, The Buildings of England: Warwickshire (Penguin, 1966) p. 88
[2] "Parishes: Beaudesert." A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 3, Barlichway Hundred. Ed. Philip Styles. London: Victoria County History, 1945. 45-49. British History Online.  http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol3/pp45-49.