Church Of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a church, likely dating from the early 16th century, that was extensively restored in 1875, probably by Paley and Austin. It is constructed of sandstone rubble with slate roofs. The church comprises a west tower, a nave with clearstorey and chancel under a continuous roof, and north and south aisles.

The tower features diagonal buttresses with offsets and an embattled parapet. Its bell openings are round-headed with three lights each, set under a flat head. A niche containing a statue is located on the west wall, below a three-light west window with a flat head and hood. The pointed and hollow-chamfered west doorway has two orders. Fragments of stone with chevron decoration have been re-set into the south wall.

The south nave aisle has two bays, each with a three-light window containing Perpendicular tracery under a flat head. The chancel aisle is of a single bay similar to the nave bays, with a pointed arch doorway to its left and a buttress separating it from the nave bay. The four clearstorey windows have square surrounds with alternating quatrefoils and circles with mouchette tracery. An open timber porch with carved decoration is located on the left, displaying “AD MDCCCLXXV” carved into the apex. The pointed doorway is hollow-chamfered in two orders, flanked by re-set stones with cable moulding and chevron decoration.

The north side of the church features similar aisle and clearstorey treatments, with two aisle bays, and an organ chamber and vestry to the east. The east wall has two buttresses with offsets, and the east window is of three lights under a pointed head with Perpendicular tracery.

Inside, the church has five-bay arcades, one within the chancel, and a further half bay on the south side of the chancel. The pointed arches are chamfered in two orders, supported by octagonal piers. Some capitals on the north side are moulded. The tower arch is chamfered in two orders, where the chamfer dies into the responds. The open timber roof is characterised by braced queen post trusses and curved wind braces. An elaborately carved chancel screen, with tracery and decoration, is also present, along with a carved stone reredos at the east end. A late 19th-century marble font features tracery panels, shields, and other decoration. Glass in three windows is by Powell; two windows in the south aisle are by Kempe & Tower.