Old Church of St Nicholas, Baddesley Ensor.
The site of the Medieval church of St. Nicholas, which was demolished in 1848. It was situated south west of Lower House Farm.
1 Original site of the parish church. This was rebuilt on a new site in 1848, but the 12th century doorway to the church was reset in a passageway in the village and another 12th century doorway is in Atherstone churchyard.
2 A drawing from Aylesford Collection c. 1820 shows a small church with nave and chancel and a N porch. The porch had a Norman doorway and two other possible Norman windows existed in the visible part of the building.
3 In 1953 the site of the church was indicated by an ’empty’ space in an area otherwise filled with gravestones. Probing within this area revealed foundations at a depth of 0.5m. By 1967 the disused graveyard was thickly overgrown and the precise church site not identifiable.
4 Prior to field survey at Birch Coppice, documentary research was undertaken to try and determine the exact location of the church. An 1848 Baddesley Ensor parish map showed the former church to lie in the centre of the plot, to be oriented to the north-east and to have a simple double cell plan. Only a light scatter of medieval pottery was recorded in the immediate vicinity of the church.
- For the sources of these notes, see the
- Timetrail record
- produced by the Historic Environment Record.
Comments
Correction – the “new” church at Baddesley Ensor was not built in 1848 – it was consecrated – having presumably been fully built – in 1846.
Just moved here, Baddesley Ensor. Would love to find out more. I was one of the volunteers at Polesworth Abbey so I really would like to find out more about the church.
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