Roman Catholic Church of Holy Michael Archangel

Roman Catholic Church of Holy Michael Archangel

A Roman Catholic parish church of around 1882, possibly designed by James Trubshaw, which incorporates fabric from an earlier church of 1847-49 designed by CF Hansom. The building is constructed of sandstone with a plain tile roof.

The church is planned as an aisleless structure with a chancel, northern vestry and western gallery. A small sanctus bell tower was added to the north of the chancel in 1899.

Externally, the nave and chancel share the same ridge height, with their division marked by visible coping stones above the sanctuary arch, which may have originally supported the sanctus bellcote before the tower was constructed. The south-western flank features four bays to the nave, defined by buttresses with offsets. Windows are arcuated triangles with single lancets and triple lancets. The chancel has a paired lancet window. The north-west gabled end has corner buttresses and three arcuated triangle lights above two lancets in the gable. The north-east flank contains an arched doorway with a plank door on the right, and to its left are two two-light windows with cusped heads and quatrefoils to the apex. Further left stands the projecting gabled vestry, which has a chimney on its right flank and an arched priest's doorway on its left. The vestry gable end has a three-light window with heavy hood mould and a quatrefoil in the gable. The chancel features a paired lancet window, with the later bell tower projecting to its left. The tower has a lancet window to the lower stage and a door to its right flank, whilst the upper stage contains paired and single lancets to the belfry. The spire roof is square on plan with a slate roof. The south-east ritual east end displays a three-light window with cusped heads and a circle in the tracery at the top containing three cusped arcuated triangles.

Internally, the roof comprises common rafters with angle braces and long ashlar pieces. The nave floor is tiled with alternating red and black tiles, whilst the chancel has patterned encaustic tiles including a memorial tile inscribed 'E+H / RIP' for Edward Huddlestone, who died in 1871. The octagonal font at the western end is carved with recessed panels in deep relief depicting the Evangelists, the Pelican in her Piety, the Agnus Dei and Holy initials. The stone pulpit has a panelled front inscribed 'IHC' and is approached by a staircase with a wrought iron balustrade. The stone altar features five panels to its front: a crucifixion at the centre flanked by figures of St George and St Michael, with the Nativity to the right and the Coronation of the Virgin at the far right. The altar and its ledge are notably deep, which may indicate later adjustment or the inclusion of earlier fabric. The tabernacle has richly enamelled and engraved doors inscribed on its flanks with wording that predates the present building. The left flank reads 'HOC TABERNACULUM, / IN HONOREM / SANCTUTIMI SACRAMANT / DONO DEDIT.' and the right flank reads 'JOANNA BILLINGTON / DE MANCHESTER / A.D. MDCCCXLIX.' (1849, the year of completion of Hansom's convent buildings). The stained glass in the western window appears to be of mid-19th century date and shows a figure of St Michael flanked by St Peter and St Paul. The heart and cross in the central light are the symbol of the Passionists, who departed Aston in 1854. Similar dated stained glass appears in the triple lancet window on the south-western flank.