ROCHESTER COLLEGE YARD TQ 7468 NW 7/16 Parish Church of St Nicholas 24.10.50 GV I Former parish church now the diocesan offices. 1421-3 (dedicated 1423); much rebuilding (including the arcades) after a fire, re- dededicated 1624, restored and refenestrated 1860-2. W end and aisles partitioned in 1970s to form office space. Coursed rubble ragstone; Kent tile roof. NW tower (originally detached to allow for a processional way); nave with aisles, chancel with shallow aisles; vestry to N of chancel. Exterior: W front (facing College yard): NW tower: 3 stages; moulded W doorway with hoodmould (now with fixed glazing); string-courses between all stages, with 4 courses of flint/ragstone chequerboard decoration to lower stage and a band of knapped flint to 1st, below string courses; cusped lancet to 1st stage, similar belfry opening, both square-headed under hood mould. Small light to SW stair. Removed parapet. Vertical masonry joint clearly marks the division between SW angle of tower and later wall connecting it was N aisle. gabled W wall to nave with W doorway similar to tower and C19 5-light Decorated window, framed by buttresses with set-offs. Aisle with plan parapet that returns along S side. C19 perpendicular and Decorated 3-light windows to S aisle with C15 buttresses between. Chancel with many later accretions and some brick patching; the rubble masonry here is random rubble and presumably demotes later alterations (rather than earlier work) which included the reduction of the aisles. C19 5-light e window. Interior: 5-bay arcade rebuilt after 1624 with tall Tuscan columns supporting equilateral pointed arches with quadrant moulding. Chancel arch (on Tuscan half-columns) with cyma mouldings. Plaster ceiling together with the coffered chancel ceiling, late C18/early C19. Aisles divided from chancel by cornice carrying a frieze of swags supported on panelled pilasters, and with little fan vaults, all C.1800. Monuments: 2 small rural monuments with kneeling figures (Thomas Rocke, d.1635 and signed by John and Matthias Christmas; George Wilson d.1629). The Buildings of England volume mentions a good monument by Sir Robert Taylor in S aisle (not inspected). W Window: brightly coloured glass by Charles Gibbs. early C19 octagonal stone font. Listing NGR: TQ7428468566