Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1300 to 1999 Church, C14, nineteenth century and C20, now day centre and chapel.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 76 NW 39 :
[TQ 7353 6929] St. Nicholas's Ch. [T.U.] (1) The Church of St. Nicholas, Strood, was rebuilt in 1812, but retains and Early English tower. (2) In normal use. (3) Church of St. Nicholas. Grade B. Medieval origin. Early English, rebuilt 1812, except tower. (For full description see list) (4) Additional bibliography. (5) Former parish church of St. Nicholas, with Day Centre. Former Parish church, now partly a day centre and partly a chapel. W tower C14 much renewed, body of church 1812 by Robert Smirke. Late C19 and late C20 additions to N, the latter for offices to day centre. Coursed rubble ragstone, Welsh slate roof, tower with flint and ragstone banding. [Full architectural description] LISTED GRADE II. (6)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
STROOD HIGH STREET TQ 7369 SE 6/277 Former Parish Church of St Nicholas, with Day Centre 24.10.50 II Former parish church, now partly a day centre and partly a chapel. W tower C14 much renewed, body of church 1812 by Robert Smirke. Late-C19 and late-C20 additions to N, the latter for offices to day centre. Coursed rubble ragstone, Welsh slate roof, tower with flint and ragstone banding. The interior has been divided, but the 3 E bays of the nave still used as a chapel. W tower, undivided nave, shallow sanctuary, S porch. Tower: no buttresses; the round-headed W doorway and blocked window above do not look Norman. The flint and ragstone banding decoration is normally taken to be C14. 3 stages and battlements; quoining. Triple lancet belfry openings. Smirke's nave, 5 bays, round-headed 2-light windows with transoms; renewed stone parapet; shallow pedimented sanctuary with 4 round-headed lancets and a roundel contained within a superordinate arch; very wide angle pilaster strips. S porch, also pedimented, partly glazed doors and fanlight with glazing bars. 2 late C20 glazed doors punched into nave (S wall, to W) to serve day centre. Interior: Perpendicular tower arch. Sanctuary ceiling and arch with Edwardian paintings of angels on decorative background, oil on plaster. Earlier, Victorian, stained glass to E and side windows. Listing NGR: TQ7354869290 (8)

HE archive material: UDE01/02/50 A view looking south from Boley Hill across the graveyard towards Rochester Cathedral with the Church of St Nicholas partially visible to the left Rochester Cathedral is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary of Rochester. The image shows the central tower prior to the partial rebuilding of 1904-05. This is a collotype print published in 'Baudenkmaeler in Grossbritannien', edited by Constantin Uhde, 1894. The photograph is attributed to Charles Latham and the publishers of the book are Verlag Von Ernst Wasmuth Berlin.

<1> O.S. 25" 1938 (OS Card Reference). SKE47806.

<2> M.H.L.G. (1557/11/A, July 1947) 25 (OS Card Reference). SKE46244.

<3> F1 CFW 19-DEC-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42649.

<4> DOE (HHR) City of Rochester 1969 2 (OS Card Reference). SKE40160.

<5> Bldgs of Eng West Kent and the Weald 1980 550-551 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38093.

<6> DOE(HHR)City of Rochester upon Medway, Kent. 157 (2.12.91) (OS Card Reference). SKE41290.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 76 NW 39 - December, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4106.

<8> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<9> Diocese of Rochester (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1998, Rochester, St Nicholas:Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29480.

Sources and further reading