Church Of St Michael

Church of St. Michael, Farnsfield

Parish church of Early 15th-century origin, substantially rebuilt in 1859–60 by the architects Hine and Evans, with the exception of part of the tower which survives from the earlier structure. The building is constructed in ashlar and rock-faced ashlar with ashlar dressings, with slate roofs to most of the structure and plain tiles to the spire.

The church comprises a south-west tower, nave with north and south aisles, north porch, north organ chamber, south vestry and chancel. All elements except the tower stand on a low chamfered plinth. The roofs feature coped gables with decorative kneelers and small decorative ridge finials. A single chimney stack rises from the east end of the south aisle.

The diagonally buttressed tower is set on a plinth with a moulded band over, rising in three stages separated by bands and topped with a spire crowned by a weathervane. The west wall of the tower contains a single window with two arched lights beneath a flat arch, with a single arched light above. Each side of the bell chamber features a gabled half-dormer, coped with decorative label stops, containing a single arched opening with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. The east and north sides each carry a clock face above these openings. The west side has two rectangular stair openings and a single opening to the south side.

The nave west wall displays two arched lights with hood moulds and label stops, and above them a single arched window with three trefoils, hood mould and label stops. A 20th-century brick and felt extension projects from this wall. The west end of the north aisle has a single arched window with three arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. The north wall of the aisle contains a single arched window with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The north porch is gabled, with engaged colonnettes bearing decorative capitals supporting the pointed moulded arched entrance, which has a hood mould and human head label stops. The side walls of the porch each carry a single small window with two arched and cusped lights, tracery and flat arch. The inner doorway has two engaged colonnettes and decorative capitals supporting a pointed moulded arch. To the left of the porch are two arched windows, each with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The north clerestory contains four gabled half-dormers, each coped with decorative label stops and containing a single arched window with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. The east end of the north organ chamber displays a single arched window with three arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The apsidal chancel has three windows, each with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. Adjacent to the south-east side is a single rectangular ashlar headstone to John Robin, dated 1671. The east vestry contains a single trefoil arched light, whilst the south wall features a Caernarvon arched doorway.

The south aisle's east wall displays a single arched window with three arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. The south wall contains two arched windows, each with two arched and cusped lights, tracery, hood mould and label stops. To the left is a pointed arched doorway with two engaged colonnettes bearing decorative capitals supporting the moulded arch with hood mould and human head label stops. The south clerestory corresponds to the north pattern, but contains only three dormers instead of four.

Interior

The church has a three-bay south arcade and four-bay north arcade, both featuring round columns and responds with moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. The south aisle/tower arch is chamfered to the arch only. The double-chamfered chancel arch is supported on each side by responds of triple shafts with moulded capitals. The north aisle connects to the north organ chamber via a chamfered arch.

A circular font of possible 12th-century date stands on a circular pedestal and base. The remaining furniture dates to the 19th and 20th centuries. On the north tower wall is a monument to William Watson, dated 1755, with an inscription flanked by Ionic pilasters and decorative floral scrolls. Above the inscription is a cherub's head beneath a dentil segmental arch, topped with a decorative urn.

The three apse windows were installed by the glazier Wailes in 1862, whilst the west nave windows were supplied by Clayton and Bell in 1876.