Church Of St Michael

GREAT ALTCAR SD 30 NW 6/1 Church of St Michael 11-10-1968 GV II*

Church. 1879 by Douglas of Chester. Timber-framing on brick plinth with red tile roof. Comprises a nave, west bell turret, south porch, north aisle, lower chancel, north organ chamber, and vestry. Framing is mostly close studding with a middle rail. To the left of the porch is a chamfered one-light window. To the right the windows have depressed cinquefoiled heads and are of 5, 4, and 4 lights. The pointed porch doorway is formed by curved braces which rise from posts to a cambered tie-beam. The purlins are tusk-tenoned through the bargeboards. The north aisle windows have ogee lights and are of 4, 3, 3, 3, and one lights. The west window is of 5 cinquefoiled lights with transom. Below the flat head are quatrefoils. The bell turret is close-studded, with curved tension braces on the north and south sides, and has a pyramid roof with finial and weather vane. Below the eaves are shallow louvres, with timber weatherings below. The south chancel windows are of 4 and 2 lights with Perpendicular tracery and flat heads. Between them is a doorway with Tudor arch. On the north side is a gabled organ chamber, and a vestry projecting under a hipped roof. The east window is of 5 cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a flat head. Interior: nave of 5 bays, with chamfered aisle posts on north side which have curved braces to the arcade plate and sling braces to raised tie-beams. On the south side interrupted tie-beams at wallplate level are tenoned into similar sling braces. The trusses have collars, and vertical struts which form close- studding. The supporting structure for the bell turret occupies the west bay. The 3 rows of purlins are windbraced. Posts directly support the tie-beam of the truss between nave and chancel, which is closed above tie-beam level. The chancel is of 2 bays and has a truss with tie-beam, collar, raking and vertical struts. On the north side is an opening to the organ chamber. At the east end is a tiled reredos. The communion rails, chancel rails, and pulpit are of carved timber.

Listing NGR: SD3197106520