Sutton St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas’ Church

Sutton St Nicholas, Hereford, HR1 3BB

Thick, austere, stone walls and deeply recessed single-light windows indicate St. Nicholas’ Church is a Norman foundation, probably in the 12th century.
 
A later 13th century addition of a Southern transept, originally a chantry, provides a further sunlit, south-facing place of worship, the other individual place of worship being the Chancel together with the Sanctuary. Hence the rather odd shape of the Church.
 
Originally focusing on these three spaces, each with an altar, the Chancel was refurbishes in the mid 17th century to accommodate new features of the Elizabethan Reformation, which include a carved pulpit and reading desk together with a heavy wooden high altar table. Victorian pews have created a sort of ‘seating in the round’ to include pews in the transept or Lady Chapel.
 
Special features include the groove in the Chancel Arch, which accommodated the medieval tympanum, separating it from the nave. Piscina situated near two of the original altars feature ‘ballflower’ decoration, typical of Welsh border Churches.
 
The screen is a compilation of 15th century pieces. The organ replaced instrumentalists at the beginning of the 20th century. The spire, however, was removed in the 18th century, owing to lack of maintenance funds!
 
The list of known priests starts tentatively in 1284 and from 1586, registers exist, both of which indicate that there was no break of worship during the Commonwealth period.
 
The Church, at first seemingly simple and unyielding of spectacular interest, has a great deal to offer the casual visitor and serious student, and is still a thriving place of worship.

St. Michael’s Church

Sutton St Nicholas, Hereford, HR1 3AY

This plain, simple, country church dates back to the 12th century and has been little altered since it was first built situated above the watermeadows of the river Lugg.
 
The place of the martyrdom of St. Ethelbert is in this parish and the church is adjacent to a national monument - a Deserted Medieval Village.
 
In the middle ages, St. Michael's belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St. John who reserved the right to bury pilgrims who died in their care in the churchyard.
 
The same churchyard is the only burial ground for our united parish today.
 
The two churches in our parish have a small but growing congregation committed to maintaining a flourishing, inclusive and forward looking ministry...

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