Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael, Garway

This parish church was formerly a preceptory of the Knights Templars. The building dates from the 12th century, with significant alterations and extensions in the 13th and 17th centuries. It was excavated in 1927. The church is constructed of roughly coursed sandstone rubble with some re-used tufa, and has stone slate roofs.

The original plan comprised a detached north-west tower linked by a passage to a two-bay nave, two-bay chancel, and south chapel. Excavations in 1927 revealed remains of a former 12th-century circular nave and a late medieval porch on the north side of the nave.

The north-west tower has a slightly battered base and two stages, divided by roll-moulding. The lower stage is slightly wider than the upper stage, which is topped by a pyramidal roof. The north-west side features a single ground floor lancet, a blocked lancet in the lower centre of the upper stage, and two round-headed openings beneath the roof; these openings are repeated on the other three sides. A buttress containing a newel with small loop lights projects from the east corner towards the north-west. The south-east side has a small moulded lancet to the first stage, blocked in its lower half. A probably 17th-century passage links the tower to the nave, containing occasional blocks of tufa and an entry in the south-west side.

The nave has a blocked north doorway with a 2-centred head behind the foundations of the circular nave and superimposed north porch that were excavated in 1927. To the west of this is a 2-light window with Y-tracery, the lower part of which is blocked. The south wall features a pair of 14th-century trefoil-headed 2-light windows, each under a relieving arch and flanked by large 17th-century buttresses. A 14th-century west window south of the passage to the north-west tower has a 2-centred head and three lights with trefoiled heads, the central light being taller than the outer ones. A 17th-century west doorway with a 4-centred head is carved with a phoenix above.

The chancel's north wall has two restored lancets to the east of a 13th-century trefoil-headed single-light window, the lower half of which is blocked to allow steps to the former rood loft. At the east end of the same wall is a large 17th-century buttress. The east wall has a small round-headed window on either side of a 13th-century re-set 2-light window with depressed quatrefoil tracery above, beneath which is a scratch cross. The south chapel has two square-headed 2-light mullioned windows, probably 16th-century, set between three buttresses. A 14th-century east window has a 4-centred head and three foiled lights, probably re-set, with a 16th-century label featuring head-stops, one to the south mitred and the other death-like. The west wall has another 2-light mullioned 16th-century window and a contemporary doorway with a 4-centred head; to the south of this is a Maltese cross.

Interior

The tower interior has deeply splayed jambs behind the ground floor lancets and several slab monuments, including an eight-foot-long dugout chest. A 2-centred arch leads to the 17th-century passageway.

The nave has a barrel-roofed ceiling and two chamfered tie beams. The 12th-century chancel arch has three orders, the inner two with detached columns and water-leaf capitals, except on the inner north side where a grotesque head spouts beaded ornament; the patera is to the north abacus. The round-headed arch features chevrons to the two outer orders and a flat-faced moulded inner order in Islamic style. A foliated gable cross-finial is high up on the north wall. There are thirteen heavy oak benches, probably 17th-century, with ends shaped towards the aisle only, except for the shorter front four which have both ends shaped. The doorway into the passage to the tower has a shouldered head. The font, probably 14th-century, has an octagonal bowl and steps. A 16th-century water-stoup and 18th-century table stand on the north side of the west door. On the south wall is a wall monument in the form of an aedicule to John Prosser, died 1737.

The chancel has a three-bay roof with raking struts from ties to principals and central posts from ties to collars in the main trusses. Three alternating intermediate trusses have arch braces to collars above which angle braces support principals, and two rows of trefoiled wind braces run throughout. Dividing the chancel from the south chapel is a 13th-century arcade of two bays of 2-centred double-chamfered arches separated by a column with four attached shafts with waist-bands; the responds at the ends of the arcades have three attached shafts. A stoup in the north wall has a chamfered 2-centred head and part-octagonal drain. A medieval mensa with five crosses is supported on 20th-century piers. Stone steps lead to a 15th or 16th-century doorway with a 4-centred head, providing access to the former rood loft. Early 18th-century communion rails with turned balusters and moulded rails are present, along with two pries-Dieu with early 18th-century balusters. An early 17th-century chair and 17th-century panelling to the backs of seats are also noteworthy. An 1880 organ occupies the west arch of the arcade.

The south chapel has an early 20th-century panelled ceiling. A piscina dating to around 1400 has a deep trefoiled head, sexfoiled drain, and scratch decoration of a fish above. A large chest with two lids runs along the south wall, and a prie-Dieu with early 17th-century balusters completes the furnishings.