The church of St. Nicholas is an ancient edifice of stone in the Early English and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with pinnacles.
The tower originally contained 6 bells, the sixth having been added and the five former rehung and restored at the expense of Nathaniel C. Curzon esq. of Lockington Hall. Four of the five earlier bells date from 1692 to 1832. The tenor, an ancient undated bell, has the inscription:- "Vox Divi Ihu Xpi Vox Exoltacionis;" the curfew used to be rung during the winter months at 8 p.m. The bells were rehung and augmented to 10 and then to 12 in 1989 with the tenor weighing 14 cwt 1 qtr 1lb.
There is a chapel at the east end of the south aisle.The clerestory windows and roof, the latter of oak, panelled and bossed, the carved oak chancel screen and the screen of the chapel in the south aisle are in the Perpendicular style. The nave arcades have Early English piers with octagonal capitals. The font is Norman and at the east end of the north aisle is a modern one of alabaster. On the south side of the chancel is a low-side shuttered and two 13th century windows, which were discovered during repairs. The chancel and the nave were repaired in 1916-19.
There are in several of the windows fragments of ancient stained glass, principally heraldic. The stained east window was inserted by the Story family.
The south aisle or Hemington chapel contains a piscina and a fine alabaster altar tomb of the Decorated period, with the recumbent effigy of a lady in flowing robes, much mutilated, and a marginal inscription, now almost obliterated: "Hic jacet corpus Dominae Elizabethe Ferrers nuper uxoris Domini Johannis Ferrers de Chartley que Elizabethe obiit 15-" (the rest is lost). The tomb is arcaded and has on each side six figures of cowled monks, holding rosaries, books etc. and at the end are angels supporting shields with the quartered arms of Ferrers, Devereux and Langham. In the chancel is an alabaster monument with effigies in full relief, to William Bainbrigge, lord of the manor of Lockington, Elizabeth his wife and 13 children, dated 1614.:There are many other memorials to the Bainbrigge and Story families, including a marble tablet to John Bainbrigge Story, of Lockington Hall, d. 1872, and others to the Fulwoods, of Hemington, 1722-60. On the west side of the south aisle is a grey marble tablet, erected in memory of the men of Lockington and Hemington, who fell in the Great War, 1914-18.
The church plate includes a silver flagon and chalice; the former, originally a secular piece of plate belonging to the Bainbrigge family, bears their arms and crest and the date 1612, and was given to the church at Easter, 1638, by John Bainbrigge esq. who died to March, 1642, and is buried in the chancel; the chalice is dated 1607 and bears the initials of the churchwardens. A silver paten, given in 1718, by Mary, widow of John Bainbrigge, is now lost, but another, of very fine design, was presented by N. C. Curson esq. The church affords 500 sittings.
You are looking for a magnetic nano, located at the entrance to a public footpath. The public footpath runs through the church yard and there is a nice wooden bench where you can sit and admire the church whilst signing the log.
The road that runs through the village is a narrow country lane with tight bends. Please keep children safe as inconsiderate drivers often rush through this village at speed.
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