The Church of St Nicholas in Corfe was built in the Norman period and rebuilt in 1842.
"The Church of St Nicholas is a 1842 rebuilding, by Benjamin Ferrey of a Norman church on the same site. The chancel arch and nave arcade are neo-Romanesque and, along with two corbels, have survived from the design of the original building.
The south aisle was added and tower rebuilt in 1858 by Charles Edmund Giles. Stained glass by James Powell and Sons was installed in the 1850s.
In 1969 the chancel was further restored.
The parish is part of the Blackdown benefice within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
The church is built of Blue Lias with stone dressing and a slate roof. It has a four-bay nave, a south aisle and a chancel. The three-stage tower has a pyramidal roof.
Inside the church the Norman white stone font survives.
The churchyard includes an unidentified chest tomb from around 1860, and one for the Brown family from the late 18th century."
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"1842 rebuilding of Norman church, south aisle added 1858 and tower rebuilt; 1969 chancel restored. By B Ferrey, later addition by C E Giles. Squared and coursed blue lias, Has stone dressings, slate roofs, stone slates to pyramid tower of church with decorative wrought iron balustrade and finial. Entered through north-west tower, 4-bay nave and south aisle, south-east organ bay, chancel. Norman style. Three stage tower, clasping buttresses, pyramid roof, modillion cornice, 2-light louvred bell openings resting on modillion cornice, Norman style west door, double doors with good decorative hinges ; left gable end of nave with rose window, lancet to west end of south aisle, south front 5 semi-circular headed lancets linked by continuous hoodmould, double lancets to organ bay door at east end, lancet to chancel. 3 lancets east end with rose window above, stepped buttresses, roll moulding around chancel,lancets on north front, dentil moulding to nave, 3 lancets, stair turret in south-east corner. Interior: squared and coursed blue lias, tower rendered. Four bay Norman-style arcade with scalloped capitals and stencilled decoration on extrados. Norman-style chancel arch, modelled on arch of original church. C19 roofs, open ribbed to chancel, hammer beam supported on diagonal struts corbelled out, with arch bracing, carved corbels. Norman style carving to choir stalls, bench fronts and interlaced arcading to organ screen acting as reredos to south aisle altar; panelled dado to chancel; Norman style reredos to chancel, mid-late C19 stained glass, east end windows in memory of deceased 1817. Memorials to Sir Frederick Grey Cooper died 1840, and his wife, of Barton Grange (qv) with recently repainted coat of arms, opposite draped with memorial to Clifton Wheat died 1807, of Barton House. Both gentlemen appear to have had the same wife, who is commemorated in a stained glass aisle window. Painted board with Royal Coat of Arms of period 1801-16. Very interesting Norman font with interlocking arcading and carved palmette. Two Romanesque style wooden armchairs, semi-circular arms with carved lions, semi-circular headed back with billeted frieze and painted wooden cross, probably designed by Ferrey. Two simple brass plaqes by J Hardman of Birmingham, early C20. A satisfactory piece of design in the Norman style."
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