Church of St Michael and All Angels

Church of St Michael and All Angels

Parish church at Lydbury North, comprising a cruciform plan with nave, chancel, tower, north and south transepts, and south porch. The building is largely of early 12th-century date, with the nave and initial cruciform layout from that period. The chancel and tower were added in the late 12th century, with the tower probably receiving a 15th-century parapet. The north transept was probably rebuilt in the 14th century, while the south porch dates probably to the 15th century. The south transept was substantially rebuilt in the 17th century. The entire church underwent major restoration in 1901–2 by J T Micklethwaite, with further work to the chancel in 1905.

The structure is built in coursed and uncoursed limestone rubble, with graded stone slate roofs. The nave, south porch, and south transept were partly roughcast around 1901–2.

The tower stands in three stages with string courses and features a 12th-century pilaster buttress to the east. Later additions include 17th-century central and set-back buttresses with set-offs, and circa 1901 diagonal buttresses to the west. The tower displays a corbel table, coped battlemented parapet, and pyramidal cap with weathervane and flag pole. Bell chamber openings on each face contain two depressed-arched lights. Small central rectangular windows appear in each stage to the west, with a small central rectangular window in the first stage to the south, above which a clock is mounted on the buttress.

The nave's south side features a chamfered-arched doorway off-centre to the left, with a probably 17th-century studded door bearing fleur-de-lys hinges. The gabled porch includes circa 1901 embellishments: carved brackets support a carved cambered tie beam with brattishing above, the gable end is weatherboarded with waney-edged bargeboards, and the two-bay roof contains a queen-strut truss, central arch-braced collar truss, and wind braces. Probably 18th-century side benches line the interior. Windows on the south side include a circa 1901 two-light leaded mullioned window high up to the left of the porch, a 12th-century round-arched window to the right of the porch, and probably a 1901 segmental-arched three-light window with hoodmould to the far right. The north side contains a 17th-century two-light window with Y-tracery to the left and a 12th-century round-arched window to the right.

The south transept, rebuilt in the 17th century and refitted circa 1901, features a three-light mullioned first-floor window in the gable to the south and a segmental-headed three-light ground-floor window with returned hoodmould. Its west front incorporates a catslide over a staircase outshut, a two-light mullioned window, and a first-floor lancet with a depressed-arched boarded door to the south. The east front displays a segmental-headed two-light circa 1901 window.

The north transept contains a two-light north window and cusped lancets to the east and west. An octagonal stone stack dates to circa 1901–2.

The chancel's south side displays a central round-arched 12th-century window, a trefoiled ogee-headed lancet to the left, and a window to the right with two ogee-headed lights. The north side preserves three 12th-century round-arched windows. The east end has diagonal buttresses and circa 1901 moulded bargeboards. A circa 1901 depressed-arched three-light window with panelled tracery and returned hoodmould occupies the centre, with a blocked 12th-century window to the left.

Interior Features

The tower arch, probably of late 12th-century date, is pointed with scalloped capitals and has a blocked former tower window above it. A 12th-century round arch leads to the north (Plowden) chapel. A moulded and chamfered arch of circa 1901–2 opens to the south (Walcot) chapel, dying into responds decorated with carved corbel heads of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.

The chancel roof comprises four bays with double purlins, wind braces, arch-braced collar trusses with V-struts above, and a central queen-strut truss. The nave roof spans eight bays with double purlins, cusped quatrefoil wind braces, arch-braced collar trusses, end frames with queen-strut trusses, and a moulded tie beam between the fourth and fifth bays with short braces resting on brackets.

Piscinas appear in the north chapel and chancel (the chancel piscina being chamfered-arched), and an aumbry occupies the chancel.

Fittings

The church retains 18th-century communion rails with bulbous turned balusters, a moulded rail, and a central gate. Two fluted image brackets flank the east window and support rare wooden candlesticks dating to circa 1640. A circa 1901–2 organ and loft occupy the south chancel.

The rood screen, of circa 15th-century origin but restored, consists of tall one-light divisions with pierced traceried panels and traceried blank panels beneath. The muntins are moulded with shafts, and the screen features a 20th-century battlemented frieze and cresting. A square-headed doorway in the north chapel leads to a former rood loft staircase within the wall, now blocked. The tympanum above the screen bears painted Ten Commandments and Creed, signed and dated "Charles Bright Churchwarden, 1615". A plain circa 1500 north chapel screen features moulded muntins.

An octagonal wooden pulpit, dated 1624, displays carved panels, a central carved guilloche band, and a gadrooned frieze. Its stone base dates to circa 1901–2. Restored 17th-century box pews with carved panels and turned knobs remain in place.

The font, probably of late 12th-century date, has a round bowl set in a scalloped square block above a square base, with a wooden cover dated 1630. A probably 17th-century alms box stands to the left of the south door, fitted with clasp and lock. A parish chest is also present. Two hatchments hang in the south transept.

Monuments

The chancel contains monuments to Johannes Ambler (dated 1627), consisting of a tablet with lugged architrave, cherub's head below, and cornice with segmental top; and John Bright (dated 1806), a tablet with oval plaque and draped urn above. The south chapel houses a monument to Elizabeth Walcot (dated 1654), a tablet with lugged architrave, scrolled sides, double segmental pediment breaking forward with scrolled keystone, and shield above. The nave contains a monument to Hester Bright (dated 1790), a tablet with oval plaque, crossed palms below, and half urn above.