The Anglican parish church of St Nicholas is a Grade I listed building. It was founded in the 12th century and had its chancel rebuilt in the mid-13th century. There were other later medieval alterations and two 19th-century restorations, one minor in 1816, and one major in 1881.
Exterior
The church is constructed of rubble stone, squared on the tower, and of Cotswold stone. It has a slate roof, except for the nave which has a lead roof. It has a chancel, a nave with a south transept and a north porch, and a west tower. The tower has battlements and is in three stages, stepping in slightly at each offset; there are twin square-headed stone belfry louvres on the top stage. The west side of the tower has three-light ogee windows on the bottom stage and single-light ogee on the middle stage. The early English chancel has three lancet windows, linked by string course, to the north, two to south and two-light Decorated in the corner with transept. The nave has three-light ogee 19th-century windows, flanking a large gabled porch and a small quatrefoil adjoining chancel to the north side. It has two large Decorated windows, also 19th-century on the south side.
Interior
The shallow nave roof was re-pitched in about 1500 and has four bays with chamfered tie-beams and Perpendicular arcading, supported on carved struts on stone corbels. There is early plate tracery in the east window with a small Normanpiscina and a 13th-century double piscina above. There is a low wide arch to the south transept with vestiges of mural paintings in reveal of the east window of the transept. There is an 18th-century communion rail and many monuments from the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly wall-mounted in the chancel. There is a 12th-century tympanum above the north doorway. The church is part of the Avening with Cherington benefice.
History of Cherington Park
Earliest records of a manor house in Cherington date back to 1074, owned by Robert D’Oyly, Lord of Wallingford. In 1740 this manor house was replaced with Cherington Park, as it stands today, by John Neale. Neale died in 1749 passing Cherington Park to his son in law, Sir John Turner, 3rd Baronet. By 1766 Turner went on to sell Cherington to Samuel Smith, who passed it onto his son Samuel Smith. The estate was then sold by Samuel Smith’s widow, Mary, to John George. George added Coxes Farm and some glebe land to the estate, passing it to his son, William, in 1824. William George inherited Westrip Farm and Hazleton Farm from his uncle William George in 1832. William George left the Cherington Estate to his two grandchildren, Constance and Gertrude who ultimately sold it to Edward S. Tarlton. Edward S. Tarlton, an engineer returning to England having lived in India under colonial rule, bought the Cherington Estate for £15,000 in 1934. Tarlton made many changes to the village including the introduction of running water and electricity. Tarlton died in 1954 dividing the Cherington Estate between his three children; Helen Tarlton, Edward Tarlton and Geoffrey Tarlton. Cherington Park was given to Geoffrey Tarlton where, like many houses at the time, the south facing wing was destroyed.
