St Nicholas' Church, Castle Hedingham

Close to the South door is a Norman cushion-stoup. The guide book states that this "may have come from an earlier Norman church on the site. Its style is similar to that of the churchyard cross but contrasts strongly with the style of the capitals". Curiously, the cat-like creature in its centre is upside down, so people have speculated that the stoup represents some sort of re-use.

Although those responsible tried to emulate a Norman style, the sedilia was unfortunately over-restored in the 19th Century, making it difficult to detect its original design. It has three seats, for priest, deacon and sub-deacon, and a piscina.

The face of a crowned lady stares out from another age. The stone on which she's painted may once have been set into the sedilia. As with the Saxon Stone, there has been much debate about her identity; not so very long ago villagers believed the stone to show the face of Poll Miles, condemned as village witch.

The present tower dates back only to the early 17th Century, and, since the Tudor buildings erected by John de Vere, 13th earl of Oxford, were demolished at about that time, may well have been built from reclaimed brick from the castle complex. The bricks match an early Tudor style, and much of the stonework used appears to have been reclaimed from the castle. See my first page about the church for more information and pictures. The final arches between nave and chancel, and the chancel arch itself, are of English style; they contrast with the other arches, which are Norman. It seems likely to me that there was once a tower in this position - such a feature would not have been unusual in a Norman church. There is a small doorway high above the nave, now inaccessible , which in this context might have provided access to the belfry. Others have speculated that it may have accessed a rood loft; the rood screen was probably not originally in its present position. Either way, it's clear that the church has changed a great deal through the centuries; it must have looked very different in the mediaeval period.

The present tower houses a peal of six bells. Five are only around 100 years old, but the Tenor was cast around 1430. It is known as Johannes (the name is cast in an inscription on the bell), possibly referring to John de Vere, 12th earl of Oxford (1408-1461). He and his eldest son were attainted and executed by the Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses; the de Veres were one of the few noble families who remained staunchly loyal to one side during the whole thirty years of fighting. The Twelfth Earl's son, also John, went on to avenge his father and achieve greatness as Henry VII's most trusted aide. It is his badges that adorn the West window. During his lifetime much renovation work was carried out on church, village and castle.

Also housed in the tower is the magnificent church clock. I am its present winder - it's 102 years old, but has only ever had three winders! (My main reason for taking the job on is that it appears to be a guarantee of long life!) It keeps time almost perfectly, and I take pride in trying to make sure that it's never more than a few seconds out.

I hope that you have enjoyed my pages about the Church of St Nicholas, Castle Hedingham. Please contact me (use the link on the navigation panel to the left) if you have any comments, suggestions, or queries. I may take a little while to reply, since I'm usually quite busy at present.

That's the end of my pages about St Nicholas' Church, although you might also like to take a look at my old pictures of the church.