Church of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas stands in High Bradfield, a small village six miles north-west of Sheffield. It sits 260 metres above sea level, looking out over the Peak District National Park. One of only five Grade I listed buildings in Sheffield, the church began as a Norman chapel in the 12th century. A 9th-century Saxon cross found nearby shows Christian worship here dates back long before. The Normans built a motte-and-bailey keep in the area after the conquest. The church’s interior changed many times. In the 14th century a square bell tower was added. During the 1480s it was rebuilt in the Gothic Perpendicular style, using original gritstone. Puritan forces destroyed statues and stained glass in the 17th century. In the 19th century the church was restored to its 15th-century appearance. The organ, installed in 1973, came from a closing church in Middlesbrough. Inside, 17 stained glass windows include work by Sir John Ninian Comper and Clayton & Bell. The east window shows scenes from Christ’s life, donated in 1870. The pulpit has carved panels of Christ with the four Gospel writers. The Norman font, made of magnesian limestone, survives from the 12th century. A sunken vestry was once used by visiting clergy. Outside, a watch house built in 1745 guarded graves against robbers.