Church Of St Michael And All Angels

Church of St Michael and All Angels

A parish church in Church Broughton, located on the north side of Main Street. The building dates from the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations in the early 14th century, 15th century, early 18th century, and 1845.

The church is built of coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings, a chamfered plinth, and low-pitched 15th-century lead roofs with stone coped gables. The plan comprises a west tower, aisled nave with south porch, and chancel.

The west tower features angle buttresses with three set-offs and a polygonal north-east stair turret with a semicircular projection. The ground stage contains a 14th-century cusped ogee lancet with hoodmould to the south, a 2-light window with Y-tracery in a chamfered surround to the west, and 2-light cusped Decorated bell-openings on all faces. The tower is topped with battlements carrying large gargoyles and 19th-century circular pinnacles, and a stone spire with a single tier of lucarnes. A 14th-century roof line is visible on the east face. The tower arch inside is triple-chamfered, with the outer order dying into the imposts.

The south aisle has four buttresses and two 2-light 14th-century windows with cusped ogee tracery, the right-hand window renewed. The south aisle east window contains three cusped lancet lights, probably dating from around 1300. A 15th-century clerestory runs along the south side with three plain early 18th-century 2-light mullioned windows.

The south side of the chancel has three buttresses with two set-offs. From left to right are a 3-light mullioned and transomed window incorporating re-used 14th-century cusped tracery in a chamfered surround, a renewed cusped ogee tomb recess with quatrefoil frieze on the tomb chest, a priests' doorway with two moulded orders, and two 2-light cusped ogee windows in chamfered surrounds with a string course beneath. The 5-light east window features reticulated tracery and a hoodmould. The north side of the chancel mirrors the south side, with three 2-light windows and three buttresses.

The north aisle east window dates from around 1300, similar to the south aisle east window. The north aisle north wall was rebuilt in ashlar in 1845, with two similar 2-light windows. A clerestory is present on the south side. The south doorway has roll and hollow mouldings with moulded imposts. A 19th-century gabled south porch stands at the south entrance.

The interior contains early 14th-century four-bay arcades with circular piers, double-chamfered arches, and moulded polygonal capitals. Semicircular responds separate the bays. The westernmost piers are broader, their flanking semicircular responds having a piece of wall between them and bearing re-set grotesque figures. The north-east respond is 12th-century with a scalloped capital. The chancel arch is 19th-century Early English in style. Within the south wall of the chancel are early 14th-century stepped sedilia with cusped ogee arches and a matching piscina. Re-set 14th-century head corbels flank the east window. A small trefoil window on the south side of the chancel looks into the external tomb recess. A cusped piscina with fluted drain is located in the south aisle.

A 12th-century tapering tub font has a bold motif of zigzag and intersecting circles, similar to one at Somersal Herbert.

The chancel contains several monuments: a marble tablet with draped urn on a slate obelisk back plate dating from around 1839 by Hall of Derby on the north wall; a brass memorial tablet from around 1904 by Jones & Willis, also on the north wall; and a marble and slate tablet on the south wall signed by Hollins, Engraver, Rocester, dated around 1832.

The east window contains stained glass from 1904 by Hardman. A pulpit of 1750 features raised and fielded panels. A painting of George IV's coat of arms from 1827 appears in the south aisle. Benefaction boards dated 1728 are fixed to the west wall.