The following text is from the original listed building designation: In the entry for HIGH STREET (West Side) 1/32 Church of Sain Nicholas The grade shall be amended to read II* HIGH STREET 1. 1614 (West Side) Church of Saint Nicholas TQ 5354/1/32 13.4.51 A 2. The Parish Church. Mainly perpendicular. Nave and aisles. Chancel and aisles. Clerestory. The North aisle is part of the original C13 church. Porch with parvis over. Tall West end tower with turret surmounted by cupola. Pulpit dated 1636.
Listing NGR: TQ5311754311 (1)

Description from record TQ 55 SW 1 :
(TQ 53115430) Ch. (NAT) (2)

The Church of St Nicholas, Sevenoaks, is mainly Perpendicular but the north aisle is part of the original 13th c. church. (3)

In normal use. (4)

1614 Church of Saint Nicholas, High Street (West Side). TQ 5354/1/32 13.4.51 Grade A. The Parish Church. Mainly perpendicular. Nave and aisles. Chancel and aisles. Clerestory. The North aisle is part of the original C13 church. Porch with parvis over. Tall West end tower with turret surmounted by cupola. Pulpit dated 1636. (5)

St Nicolas' Church at first sight is all Perpendicular, with battlemented aisle stopping one bay from the east end. Tall west tower of three stages, with angle buttresses. Bulbous cap to north east turret, but four west bays of the north aisle show earlier evidence. They have two light decorated windows. The battlements and clerestory were added in 1812 during restoration work, as was the top stage of the tower. Another restoration by Christian in 1878 left no old windows. The nave arcades are probably 13th century. The chancel arch responds is of the same date. Before 1812 the lower part of the tower on clustered piers is reported to have stood over the north aisle. The chancel itself and the chancel chapels are a Perpendicular rebuilding. (6)

Church of St Nicholas, High Street, (West Side). The grade shall be amended to read II*. (7)

Additional bibliography - not consulted. (8-9)

Excavation inside the church in 1992 revealed foundations of earlier pillars below, and aligned with, the nave arcading, dated from before the 13th century. Also other stone features and post holes plus some 7 to 10 burials and deposits of disarticulated bone. (10-11)

A small no. of PR artefacts provide the only evidence for activity prior to the construction of the first church in the C11. The addition of a chancel occured after this phase of building. The C13 saw a major phase of redevelopment- addition of a chapel, bell tower, new aisle and arcades. The old aisle and bell tower were then demolished. In the C15 the N. chapel and vestry were built and new windows added. A tower was constructed to the W. of the nave. A family vault was constructed in the C17. Approx. 420 graves were examined during excavations, 253 individuals have been retained for future analysis. At least 24 burials are likely to be EMD. (12)

Additional Info (14-15)

A trench excavated in 1992 at on the exterior of St Nicholas Church uncovered seven articulated burials. (16)

In 1994 a survey of cellars in Sevenoaks was undertaken and St Nicholas Church was included in the survey area, however the survey was not done since at the time the Crypt was under construction and Oxford Archaeological Unit had conducted an excavation. (17)

In 1993/1994 an excavation was carried out in the choir vestry in advance of the destruction of the archaeological deposits by a development. 36 graves were identified and 33 skeletons, all orientated east-west. The burials were packed most densely near the western wall. Evidence of coffins was found in 21 graves (18)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<1> OS 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48369.

<2> MHLG (1614/11/A May 1949) 26 (OS Card Reference). SKE46929.

<3> F1 ASP 05.08.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE41932.

<4> DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks UD Kent 1972 25 (OS Card Reference). SKE41041.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 510-512 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37910.

<6> DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks Kent Eighth Amendment Sept 1983 (OS Card Reference). SKE40994.

<7> St Nicholas Ch Sevenoaks: parish registers & register of memorials n.d. (C Rudge) (OS Card Reference). SKE49643.

<8> Notes on the parish church of St Nicholas, Sevenaoks 1910 (J Rooker) (OS Card Reference). SKE47704.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 55 SW 1 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2858.

<10> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1992, Evaluation at St. Nicholas' Church, Sevenoaks, Oxford Arch. Unit 1992 'St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks: Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE11925.

<11> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1994, St. Nicholas' Church, Post-exc. Assessment + research design, 1994 (Unpublished document). SKE6881.

<12> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1994, St. Nicholas' Church, Post-exc. Assessment + research design, 1994 (Unpublished document). SKE6881.

<13> St Nicholas PCC, 1990, Building for the Gospel (Unpublished document). SKE6725.

<15> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1992, Evaluation at St. Nicholas' Church, Sevenoaks (Unpublished document). SKE8163.

<16> ?, 1994, Sevenoaks Cellar Survey (Unpublished document). SKE17186.

<17> Oxford Archaeology, 1993?, Interim Report on the Excavation of the Vestry at St. Nicholas' Church, Sevenoaks (Unpublished document). SKE52252.

<18> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1994, External excavations at St Nicholas church, Sevenoaks (Unpublished document). SKE32477.