St Nicholas, Dilham

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St Nicholas is an intriguing little church with a curious part-round tower at its west end. At first glance, it appears to be of great age but the tower is merely a remnant of the 19th-century with the main church itself having only been constructed in the 1930s. 

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In fact, the current building is the third to have been erected on the site. Despite an attempt to restore the 13th century tower in 1775, this and the rest of the original medieval building were eventually demolished and rebuilt in the 19th century. By 1899, however, the new tower which had been built as a shell around what remained of the original had collapsed. What was left of the tower was stabilised and the ‘stump’ used as a baptistery to house the original medieval font, whilst the rest of the building was once again demolished and rebuilt in 1931, using much of the original materials. 

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Whilst the interior of the church is relatively simple, this little church is still full of character. There are some lovely carved angles that adorn the ceiling and the font sits beautifully framed by the archway leading into the baptistery.