Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael

Parish church built circa 1200, with early 14th-century and mid-19th-century alterations, restored, enlarged and partly rebuilt in 1875 by E. Haycock of Shrewsbury. The church is constructed of squared and coursed Alberbury breccia and red sandstone rubble with red and grey sandstone dressings, and has a plain tile roof.

The building comprises a nave and chancel in one, with a mid-19th-century former west porch and late 19th-century south porch. A lean-to north aisle and vestry are added to the north side, with a western bellcote above. The structure features parapeted gable ends, with a cross at the apex to the east. A small lead-covered conical finial marks the junction of nave and chancel. The 19th-century stack to the vestry is chamfered to a square shaft with chamfered corners and chamfered top.

The gabled western bellcote has two chamfered cinquefoil-headed openings with battered sides, a chamfered offset, and a gable string. The south side displays two large buttresses with chamfered offsets. A 19th-century cinquefoil-headed chamfered lancet with hoodmould sits to the left. The central window of 19th-century date consists of two cinquefoil-headed chamfered lancets flanking a lower trefoil-headed chamfered lancet, with a cusped curved-sided triangular light above and a returned hoodmould. A small reset 13th-century chamfered lancet is located to the left of this central window. To the right is a 19th-century window with two chamfered cinquefoil-headed lights, Y-tracery and hoodmould with carved stops.

The south doorway is a circa 1200 roll-moulded round-arched opening, off-centre to the left, furnished with a pair of 19th-century boarded doors with strap hinges. The 19th-century porch fronting this doorway has a chamfered plinth, continuously-moulded arched entrance with hoodmould and carved stops, and a gable with two strings, a small lancet opening, and a cross at the apex. The left-hand return front of the porch contains a star-shaped quatrefoil window with chamfered surround, lighting a small chamfered Caernarvon-arched seat recess within.

A 13th-century priest's doorway is positioned off-centre to the right, with a continuously chamfered arch and 19th-century boarded door with strap hinges. A straight joint lies to the left of this door.

The north side displays five bays separated by dividing buttresses, with windows containing three quatrefoil- or cinquefoil-headed chamfered lights, except for one single light. The left-hand end has a trefoil-headed diamond-leaded lancet, while the right-hand end carries a window with two trefoil-headed chamfered lights and a vesica-shaped quatrefoil plate tracery above.

The west end features a buttress to the left and a gabled former porch with coved eaves and a parapeted gable end with shaped footstones. The west window has a moulded cill, two quatrefoil-headed chamfered lights, trefoiled tracery, and a returned hoodmould with carved stops.

The east end is defined by a chamfered plinth and large diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets. A late 19th-century three-light window consists of cinquefoil-headed chamfered lights flanking a taller trefoil-headed chamfered light, with chamfered reveals and stops, a moulded cill, and a hoodmould with carved stops.

Interior

The interior comprises three bays plus two bays, with a 15th-century roof. Hammer-beam trusses are arch-braced to the collar. The truss at the junction of nave and chancel has a chamfered and ogee-stopped tie-beam and collar above. A collar and tie-beam truss at the west end of the nave has raking struts. Pairs of purlins and pierced cusped wind braces form quatrefoil patterns.

The 1875 four-bay north aisle arcade consists of octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases, double-chamfered arches, and a continuous hoodmould with carved stops. An arch at the west end of the nave to the former porch has a double chamfer dying into responds and a hoodmould with carved stops. The west window has a chamfered rear arch. The nave's right-hand south window has a shouldered rear-arch and a 13th-century lancet with a round rear arch. The north aisle features chamfered rear-arches, with the west window having a trefoiled rear-arch and a chamfered arch at the east end leading to the organ chamber.

Part of the chancel north wall projects above corbels. The organ chamber has a moulded arch dying into chamfered responds and a hoodmould with carved stops. A 19th-century chamfered rear-arch opens to the priest's doorway, which also has a chamfered shouldered arch to the sedile. The east window has a chamfered rear arch and hoodmould with carved stops.

Fittings

The reredos was given by R. N. Pemberton (perpetual curate 1817-19) and is made up from 17th-century panels and carved pieces, probably Flemish from circa 1530, including four large figures and a smaller Madonna and Child. A 17th-century chair and 19th-century wooden altar rails are present. The choir stalls date to circa 1937. A 15th-century chancel screen, partly restored in 1875, features cusped ogee lights and a moulded cornice. An octagonal wooden pulpit of circa 1937 has traceried panels. Pews date to 1875. A circa 1937 south doorcase has traceried-panelled doors and a carved vine trail frieze.

An octagonal stone font of circa 1875 sits on a moulded base with raised crosses on alternate sides of the bowl, a moulded top, and a wooden cover with wrought ironwork. 19th-century lamps with brass brackets and glass covers hang throughout. A probably 18th-century painted royal coat of arms is on the north wall of the nave. Early 19th-century painted communion boards are in the former west porch. Three late 18th-century memorial tablets to the Ambler family are displayed. Two 20th-century paintings depict the church as it was or might have been in the 18th or early 19th century.

Historical Changes

The chancel was rebuilt in 1832 when the triple-lancet east window was replaced by a rectangular mullioned three-light window. This was in turn replaced in 1875. The south door was blocked in the mid-19th century and a west porch erected, which may also have served as a vestry. The south door was reinstated in 1875. Box pews, pulpit, reading desk, a baluster font and a west gallery were all replaced in 1875. The 1875 restoration and alterations cost £1,400.