Church Of St Michael

THURMASTON

SK 60 NW MELTON ROAD (East Side)

6/131 Church of St. Michael (Previously listed as church of 1.6.66 St Michael and All Angels)

II*

Parish Church, exterior largely of 1848 though the west tower is C14. Internally some early C14 work remains, including the arcades. Randomly coursed granite rubble throughout, with ashlar dressings. West tower, nave with 2 aisles, chancel. Buttressed tower of 2 stages, with C19 west doorway in roll moulded and hollow chamfered arch. 2-light C19 century window above. Paired foiled lights to bell chamber. Embattled parapet with gargoyles. Buttressed south aisle is of 1848: the west window is in a Decorated style the others are Perpendicular. 3-lights with paired lights above, in square headed openings with hoodmoulds and corbel heads. South doorway has roll moulded and hollow chamfered archway. Aisle and nave under a single sweep of roof. Chancel also of 1848 in Decorated style. 4-light east window. To the north east of Chancel a polygonal projecting chapel. North aisle has similar details to south, with the addition of a large gabled porch with parvise.

Internally, the arcades of the medieval church survive, and are of c1300. 5 bays round-chamfered arches on alternately octagonal and clustered columns, with heavy abaci western bay is a shallower arch of less height and later date, linking the existing church with the added tower, which has a tall double-chamfered arch. Nave roof is Victorian, an ornate and unusual construction, since the aisles are roofed under the same slope, the roof carried clear of the arcade wall on a higher timber arcade. Nave roof itself is of hammer-beam construction, ornately decorated in the spanadiels at the main braces. Narrow North doorway with double chamfered arch and responds.

Chancel arch is east of the steps up to the chancel, and rests on high corbels. Scissor braced roof 4-light east window with stained glass of 1879. East windows of aisles contain glass of 1845, in the style of a painting.

Font probably Victorian, squared lower base rises through chamfering to an octagonal section from which concave curves spring to support the plain octagonal basin.

Listing NGR: SK6103109359