North Newbald, St Nicholas' Church

St Nicholas church in North Newbald has been called the finest Norman church in the East Riding. When you see the scale of the building it is not hard to see why! The church is built to a cruciform plan without aisles and a tall central tower.

The chancel is 14th and 15th century. There is a very nice corbel table running around the exterior, with fascinating carvings.

I count myself lucky to find a parish church with one Norman doorway. Two is exceptional. But at North Newbald there are three excellent Norman doorways. The most elaborately crafted doorway is at the west end of the nave. This is beautifully carved and is topped by a wonderfully intricate seated figure of Christ in Majesty.

There are four Norman arches meeting at the crossing, and a number of interesting memorials, including one to Sir Philip Monckton, one of the leading figures in the Royalist army during the Civil War. At the west end of the nave is a fascinating early Norman font with intricate foliage carvings running horizontally around the bowl, which sits on a set of clustered shafts.

Though there are not a wealth of historic furnishings, the wonderful Norman fabric of the church makes it a real treat to visit.