Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael

A parish church at Burwell, comprising elements from the early 12th century through to the 20th century. The building is constructed of green sandstone rubble blocks with limestone ashlar dressings and some red brick, under lead roofs with some slate. It consists of a west tower, nave with south porch, and chancel.

The west tower, dating to the early 16th century, is of three stages with three-stage clasping buttresses and plinth. A sundial sits above the south-west buttress. The west doorway has a flattened triangular head with a continuous bowtell moulded surround, hood mould, and plank door. Moulded string courses define the second stage, which contains a pointed window with bowtell moulded surround, three pointed cusped lights, panel tracery and hood mould, with a clock above. The south side of the upper second stage is late 18th-century brick with a small lancet window. Bell openings on all four sides feature pointed heads with bowtell moulded surrounds and shuttering; the upper parts of the bell stage are 18th-century brick. The tower is crowned with stone coped battlements with moulded ashlar eaves and corner gargoyles.

The nave has brick patched eaves. The north side contains a single late 15th-century rectangular window with three cusped ogee-headed lights. Masonry breaks occur to left and right with brick patching. A 20th-century two-light wooden casement window is set beyond. The south side shows the outline of two pointed blocked arcade bays with two narrower, lower pointed blocked arcade bays to the west, now supported by 20th-century two and three-stage buttresses. A late 15th-century window to the east has three cusped ogee-headed lights, hood mould and crude head label stops. A 16th-century rectangular window to the left has three rectangular lights, hood mould and crude head label stops.

The chancel dates to the 13th century and has a single lancet on its north side with hood mould; 20th-century brick patching appears to the left. The east end contains an early 16th-century window with a four-centred head, bowtell moulded surround, three pointed cusped lights and hood mould. The south side of the chancel has a large late 15th-century rectangular window with three ogee-headed cusped lights and hood mould. An early 18th-century table tomb is set below against the wall, decorated with skull and laurels on the east and west ends and looped draperies on the south side; the inscription is illegible.

The south side has a late 18th-century gabled porch to the west, incorporating a re-used 15th-century semi-circular headed doorway with continuous moulded surround and tumbled gables. Within the porch is an inner 15th-century doorway with a barely pointed head, continuous double-chamfered surround, hood mould, single head label stop, and double plank doors.

Interior features include a late 15th-century tower arch with a double-chamfered pointed head, polygonal responds and moulded imposts. The early 12th-century chancel arch has four orders with a semi-circular head; the inner order features triangular sub-chip-star decoration, two roll moulded orders, and an outer billeted order. The outer rectangular jambs have sub-chip-star decorated imposts, while the inner single shaft has moulded capitals, one carved with dancing stags and the other with crude volutes. A fragment of 12th-century wall painting depicting a crowned head and initial "M" survives above the arch to the north. Three elongated wingless angels are reset in the tower roof, probably from the original roof.

The furnishings include an ornate late 19th-century oak altar rail with bold grapes and vine leaves, a 19th-century reredos with five arched panels containing tracery and ornate piers, and an early 15th-century flowered statue bracket. The 15th-century octagonal font has shields contained in cusped panels, a traceried pedestal and plinth, and bears an inscription stating it was the gift of Thomas Fitzwilliam. A 17th-century pine pulpit has four sides with blank arches, panelled sides and geometric decoration. 19th-century tie beam roofs and pews are present, along with a 19th-century dado rail and piscina.

Monuments include one to Hugh Allington, died 1674, in white, grey and yellow streaked marble with segmental pediment, festoons, cartouche, cherubs and draperies; one to Matthew Dymoke, died 1792, in grey and white marble with urn and draperies; one of white and grey marble to Charles Bancroft, died 1808; another to Matthew Bancroft-Lister, died 1842; and one of white marble to Elizabeth Yorke, died 1845.