St Nicholas' was an early 12thc. cruciform church without aisles. The N transept has been removed, but its arch is visible inside and out. The S transept was overbuilt by a S aisle, but the arch remains as bay 1 of the S arcade, including its E respond and capital. The remainder of the S arcade is 13thc. A 14thc. clerestorey was added on both sides of the nave. The N nave doorway remains from the early 12thc. campaign; the more elaborate reset S doorway could be slightly later. Plain 12thc. windows survive in the chancel N wall, the nave N wall, the W tower W wall, and reset in the S aisle W wall. The chancel can thus be dated to the 12thc. too, although its S windows indicate a remodelling c.1300. It has a S chapel now housing the organ and vestry. Finally the 12thc. W tower is of three storeys with much-altered bell-openings and a corbel table. A parapet with quatrefoil frieze and battlements was added in the 15-16thc. there was a spire which collapsed in 1699.

In 1086 the manor of three hides was held by Thorney abbey, with another holding of 1½ hides in the hands of Countess Judith. No church was recorded.

Benefice of Cranford with Grafton Underwood and Twywell.

Zarnecki (1958) compared the king's head on the S doorway with those similarly placed on the Vestry and Monks' doorways at Ely Cathedral. The roll corbels on the N doorway he compared to the later rolls on the Monk's doorway, and they should also be compared to the similarly placed corbels on the Ely N transept doorway and at Wentworth (Cambs). He dated the S doorway c.1130. A similar date is reasonable for the N doorway and what remains of the transept arches. The tower corbels must be later. The best-preserved and most effective of these are on the N face (N1, N2, N6), but the overall quality is good and comparisons should perhaps be sought on the W transept of Ely Cathedral, dateable to the end of the 12thc.