St Nicholas is the archetype of a small and quiet parish
church, located in the hamlet of West Worldham.
The approach is via a small gate up the slope of a small but
well-kept churchyard to a pretty 15th Century wooden porch. Small square
lanterns on the gate post and porch lend a quaint feel - compounded by the
musty smell of damp inside.
Entry is through a 13th Century Early Gothic south doorway,
with a suitably heavy and ancient door. Inside the nave and chancel are one,
without sub-division. There are Early English lancet windows in the north wall,
although those in the east (their jambs still visible) have been replaced by a
larger Perpendicular Gothic window: the west window is 16th Century. All blends
happily together.
The church has few furnishings: an octagonal font, a piscina
in the sanctuary and two in the nave, and some plain wall monuments.
One plaque records that the electric lighting was a
thanksgiving gift for the hamlet being spared damage in an air raid in 1944. On
our visit, the church was filled with exquisite flower arrangements: apparently
in preparation for a funeral.
St
Nicholas, Blanket St, West Worldham, GU34 3BD
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