Church of St Nicholas, Charlwood

Church of St Nicholas, Charlwood
St Nicholas, Charlwood
51°09′21″N 0°13′39″W / 51.1558°N 0.2276°W / 51.1558; -0.2276Coordinates: 51°09′21″N 0°13′39″W / 51.1558°N 0.2276°W / 51.1558; -0.2276
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.uppermolegroupofchurches.co.uk
Architecture
Status	Grade I listed
Architect(s)	Unnamed and William Burges
Style	Norman
Administration
Parish	Charlwood
Diocese	Diocese of Southwark
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Rt. Rev. Jonathan Clark (area) Rt. Rev. Christopher Chessun (diocese)
Rector	Rev. William Campen
Dean	Rev. Andrew Cunnington
Archdeacon	Venerable Daniel Kajumba

The Church of St Nicholas, Charlwood is the parish church of Charlwood, Surrey, England. With a 12th-century tower and nave section and examples of 13th to 15th century art, fixtures and architecture, it is a Grade I listed building.

St Nicholas's smallest nave and the tower were built c.1100 with 15th century later medieval building forming most of the remainder. Its parts were restored to surveys and specifications by architect William Burges from 1857 to 1867. The church is a Grade I listed building.

Around 1080 the building of Charlwood church was started. The original church was a simple three-cell structure consisting of a nave, a squat tower without a crossing and a rounded apse beyond.

The Norman church was "enlarged out of all recognition" in the fifteenth century, by the addition of the chancel and doubling of the nave. Burges was commissioned to undertake restoration in 1858, although work did not begin until 1864 and continued until 1867. During restoration, a series of 13th century wall paintings were uncovered and Burges undertook their cataloguing and refurbishment. Its path in the form of a 'stone causeway' and the lychgate along this are separately listed. Many interior features are intricately carved and old furnishings are featured: its octagonal pulpit is one of 1620 and the font is Victorian. In the west window of the former nave are some fragments of ancient glass, a portion of the figure of a saint, and several other odd pieces, including two words of an inscription. Also in the first window of the north wall are two small eyelets containing roses and leaves. Patron Richard Sander (who died in 1480) has his initials, winged dragons and his coat of arms of Sander liberally applied to the interior with examples of 14th and 15th century art and carving.

The baptism, marriage and death registers date from 1595.

The church has a vestry for choir and clergy. The church has its graveyard adjoining to almost all sides and is by a wide track by the largest pub of the village to the return of the bend in its road. The land to the north, within the bend, is the Old and New Rectory, with two ponds, one of which is the rectory pond, a small publicly used fish pond.