Parish Church Of St Michael

Parish Church of St Michael

This is a parish church with origins dating to the early 12th century. The building underwent significant expansion with the addition of aisles in the mid- and late 14th centuries, the tower was rebuilt in the 15th century, and further alterations and additions were made around 1848. The church is constructed of sandstone ashlar with plain tiled roofs and parapets at the gable ends topped with cross finials.

The church comprises a west tower, a nave of three bays plus one additional bay with north and south aisles beneath lean-to roofs and a south porch, and a two-bay chancel with an adjoining north vestry. The architectural style is predominantly Decorated with Perpendicular elements in the tower.

The west tower dates from the 15th century and replaced an earlier tower that had been built before the aisles were added. Evidence of flying buttresses in both aisle walls indicates that the eastern arch of the original tower had begun to spread during the late 14th century. The new tower was constructed to the west of the former tower and not aligned with it. After the new tower was built, the old tower was removed and the new one was connected to the west ends of the aisle walls. The north and south arches of the old tower were then replaced by a continuation of the nave arcade built outside them. The tower has roughly two stages with a chamfered plinth that continues around the rest of the church. String courses run above the plinth and above and below the belfry stage. Angled corner buttresses with offsets project from the angles. The west elevation features a 4-light window with a hoodmould whose returns continue as a string to the buttresses, a rectangular light above it, and similar rectangular lights in the north and south elevations. The belfry stage contains 2-light louvred bell-chamber openings, and above the uppermost string is an embattled parapet. A staircase at the south-west corner is expressed externally on the west elevation by three loopholes. The tower arch inside is 15th century with jambs decorated with paired cusped pointed arched panels.

The nave contains three bays plus an additional west end bay dating from the tower rebuilding. The north aisle was added around 1350 and the south aisle around 1370. On the north elevation are gabled buttresses with offsets at bay divisions and ends. Two 2-light windows appear in the easternmost bays, a large pointed arched light in the westernmost bay, and a blocked doorway in the third bay from the east (opposing the south entrance). A 2-light window appears in the west end elevation. The south elevation has three 2-light windows, with a 2-light window also in the west and east end elevations.

The south porch dates from around 1848 and is gabled with an end parapet topped by a cross finial. It has angled corner buttresses with offsets and a pointed arched doorway with a mid-20th century door. Paired cusped lancets appear in the side elevations. The main south entrance has a pointed arched doorway with a hoodmould.

The chancel was restored in 1848 but apparently retains earlier masonry. It is two bays in length with angled corner buttresses and buttresses at bay divisions on each side, all with offsets. All windows have hoodmoulds with label stops carved in the form of human heads. The east window has 4 lights. The south elevation has two windows and the north elevation has a window in the westernmost bay.

The vestry adjoins the easternmost bay of the north elevation and has a separate gabled roof. Its north elevation features a pair of cusped lancets and a narrow pointed arched doorway with hoodmould and returns. At its east end is a 2-light window, and above at the junction of chancel and vestry roofs is a stone chimney stack.

The interior features a four-bay nave arcade with pointed arches of two square orders. The upper two piers are circular with plain bell capitals and moulded bases, while the lower piers date from the tower alterations. The south pier is square and the north pier is a broad rectangular shape. The chancel arch is 19th century, supported on a cluster of three colonnettes with moulded capitals and bases.

In the lower parts of the north and south walls are respectively four and three recesses with 4-centred arched heads. Above the second recess from the west in the north wall, the masonry has been cut away, probably to contain an early stone rood. A similar recess in the north-east wall of the chancel contains a late 14th century effigy of a priest in mass vestments holding a chalice. All roofs are 19th century.

The chancel contains a reredos relief of the Last Supper and sedilia with two round-headed arches, possibly of 16th century date. A small cusped pointed-arched recess, probably a piscina, appears at the eastern end of the north aisle, and another piscina in a cusped pointed-arched recess is at the south-east end of the south aisle. A 19th century font with a square base and octagonal basin stands in the church. The east end of both aisles has 19th century parclose screens, which re-use pieces of 15th century woodwork. Other interior features include a 19th century pulpit, miserichords in the chancel, and pews. 15th century tiles appear at the west end of the north aisle, and there are also good 19th century floor tiles. Two parish chests are preserved, one dated 1697 and one earlier with three locks, both situated beneath the tower.

The church contains several notable memorials. In the south of the chancel, above the sedilia, is a wall monument to Thomas Talbot, died 1613, with two kneeling figures facing each other across a prayer-desk set in a round-arched niche. Three kneeling children are carved beneath, and the niche is flanked by Corinthian columns with putti above and a coat of arms at the top centre. At the east end of the south aisle is a black and white marble altar tomb to Elizabeth Talbot, died 1687, with two female figures carved on the front and an inscription between them. Above this on the wall is a wall memorial to Olive Talbot, died 1681, with spiral columns, a segmental pediment containing a coat of arms, and festoons. On the south wall is an early 19th century sarcophagus-shaped memorial to Philip Gresley, died 1825. In the north aisle at the east end are two mid-19th century memorials.

The east window glass apparently dates from the 19th century and is by Hardman.

This is a medieval church with a relatively complex building history and retaining some unusual features.