Sint-Niklaaskerk, Warwick

The site of the church of St Nicholas which dated to the Early Medieval and Medieval periods, though little is known about it. The present church was built around 1780 and stands on St Nicholas Church Street, Warwick.A unique late 18th century church building and centre, St Nicholas Church guards the southern entrance of old Warwick. The present Church was built in 1785, replacing a decaying mediaeval church, the roots of which lay in a former Saxon nunnery on the site.Few new churches were built at that time, after the short period of classical revival church building in the style of Wren. St Nicholas is an unusually fine example of Gothic revival architecture, pre-dating the Victorian excesses, and displaying a rare, delicate, simple style. This creates an unusual Church worship and community centre.Internally the unusually fine columns support a squared capitol, from which rises a very shallow vaulted plaster ceiling. With only four free standing pillars, the essence of the building is a light and airy square space with large decorated style windows. Originally built with a small rounded apse, the former chancel arch has been filled in, hiding behind it a heavy later Victorian, dark chancel. This is now divided horizontally into two floors, creating valuable activity space, sustained by kitchen and toilet facilities.The approach to the church through the space beneath the western spire leads to a ‘welcome’ area beneath the western organ gallery, more reminiscent of a Wesleyan chapel! This provides a seating and meeting area, with a removable glass screen to the main church space, with modern toilet and catering facilities, the latter with lifting shutters into the main church area.The Choir singing at Warwick Castle on Ascension DayThe present Church is still regarded historically as the Castle’s Church; hence the Earl of Warwick is a patron. Connections with the Castle go back a long way and our links are still strong today, for example, our Choir sings on the Castle Tower at sunrise on Ascension Day.The overall result is a 200 year old Gothic style people’s centre for worship and prayer, doubling as a pleasant area for events such as the Christmas bazaar, meetings, concerts, church parties, as well as the formal worship of a live church community in the 21st century