Scattered Group Of 19 Chest Tombs South Of Church Of St Michael

A group of nineteen chest tombs dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries are located south of the Church of St Michael. The tombs are constructed of sandstone ashlar and have rectangular plans with moulded plinths and capping. One tomb, located approximately 0.5 metres southwest of the porch, is defaced and dates from the 18th century, featuring oval insets to its short sides and a defaced inscription to the capping. The Rideout memorial, dated 1717, has shaped end panels, a cartouche, and oval inscription panels to its long sides, surrounded by foliage. The Gwatkin memorial, dating from the mid-18th century, features decorated balusters flanking the inscription panel and a cartouche, with a further cartouche to the short sides, commemorating Richard Gwatkin (died 1738) and his wife Mary Gwatkin (died 1747). The Evett memorial, also from the 18th century, has shaped end panels with swags, a cartouche to the inscription panel on the long sides, and is largely defaced. The Hawley/Scudamore memorial, dated 1760, features three-quarter corner balusters flanking the inscription panel with a cartouche and a cherub head, with cartouches to the short sides and swagged drapery with a head on the north side. The Wellington memorial (1825) has plain balusters flanking fielded inscription panels. The Perkins memorial, dated 1765, features balusters flanking fielded inscription panels and commemorates Richard and Jane Perkins. Another Perkins memorial, from 1737, has elaborate shaped ends and decorative cartouches to the ends and inscription panels, commemorating the wife of Richard Perkins (name illegible, died 1737) and Elizabeth Perkins (died 1767). The Bennett memorial, dated 1833, has a raised capping surface, balusters flanking a fielded inscription panel with florettes, and a band of reeding below the capping. The Sier memorial (1765) has plain balusters flanking an inscription panel. A further defaced tomb, located 0.5 metres south of the Bennett and Sier memorials and dating from the late 18th century, has three-quarter corner balusters flanking an inscription panel with an oval inset and a defaced cartouche to the short sides. The Pritchard memorial, from the 18th century, features shaped end panels flanking inscription panels with folial decoration, a circular inset to the short sides with scrollwork and foliage, and commemorates Anne Pritchard (died 1696) and James Pritchard (died 1714). The Dew memorial, dated 1770, has plain balusters flanking an inscription panel, while another Dew memorial from 1816 has decorated three-quarter corner balusters flanking a rectangular inscription panel with an oval inset and folial motif in the spandrels. A Dew memorial from 1735 is an elaborate design with shaped end panels heavily embellished with swags, scrolls and folial ornament, with swagged surrounds to the inscription panels. The Sier memorial (1817) has decorated balusters flanking fielded inscription panels with folial ornament in the angles, commemorating James Sier (died 1817). Three further tombs are defaced and date from the early 19th century. The tombs nearest the church are predominantly Dew memorials, featuring balusters and fielded inscription panels, with largely illegible inscriptions.