Church Of St Michael

TENTH LIST OF BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC INTEREST COMPILED UNDER SECTION 54 OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1971

8/1 ALNHAM ALNHAM NT 91 SE 8/1 Church of St.Michael 21/10/53

GV I

Parish church. Saxon foundation. Largely late C12- early C13. Restored 1870 by F.R. Wilson and again in 1953. Roughly-dressed stone with stone slate roofs. South transept has graduated Lakeland slate roof.

Nave with west bellcote, south porch, north and south transepts and chancel.

West end has one C12 round-headed window flanked by 2 original buttresses on each side. Upper part of gable rebuilt and bellcote added in 1870.

All other windows are of 1870 in Transitional style.

3-bay nave. South porch,probably C16 or early C17, has round-headed doorway with continuous roll moulding and is tunnel-vaulted. Saxon quoins at nave north-east and south-east corners. 2-bay chancel has priest's door with four-centred arched head.

North side blank. The nave has the blocked C13 arches of the former 3-bay north aisle embedded in it. Also later, probably C16, blocked door and blocked C18 round-headed window. Blocked C16 window in chancel north wall.

Interior: Round-headed south door with continuous chamfer. West window is shafted with round-headed rare arch; shafts and rings are replacements but the bases and one capital are original. Depressed semicircular chancel arch of 2 chamfers rising from semicircular responds and simply moulded capitals. Arches into transepts slightly later. North transept has pointed C13 arch with 2 chamfers and octagonal responds. South transept is rougher and simpler but of similar date.

Old roof timbers re-used forming collar-beam trusses, partly ceiled in nave. Late C13 - early C14 segmental-arched tomb recess in chancel south wall.

Small octagonal font dated 1664.

4 medieval grave covers in chancel floor.

Monument to George Alder 1611 in floor of nave with wild lettering and unusual spelling. Several C17and C18 monuments in south transept.

Northumberland county History Vol. 14 page 563.

Listing NGR: NT9908510991