St Nicolas, Worth
The Parish Church of St Nicholas has been a place of Christian worship for over 1000 years. Excluding Ripon Cathedral (672AD) and Hexham Abbey (674AD), St Nicholas’ Worth (c. 950) is the 11th oldest church in the country. The style of the church itself is cruciform: the West (entrance) door is 14th century and upon entering the building, one is immediately aware of the huge Saxon arch at the east end of the Nave. At 22 feet high and 14 feet wide this is possibly one of the largest Saxon arches in existence. It is a powerful expression of the faith and dedication of the masons and builders who constructed it and its companion arches on either side. High up on the south side of the arch, the stone is seen to be worn and on investigation this bears marks of rope friction. On the south pillar are marks possible made by a cleat. These signs point to the likely presence of a sanctus bell high over the arch in earlier times. Post code: RH10 7RT
