Church Of St Michael And All Angels

The Church of St Michael and All Angels dates to the 12th century, with alterations made in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is constructed of coursed rubble and Roman brick, with some uncoursed rubble on the south aisle, and has limestone dressings. The roof is covered in red plain tiles, with a weatherboarded and shingled bell tower.

The original fabric includes a nave and chancel, seemingly built as one unit and originally chancel vaulted. The late 13th-century roof structure is characterized by scissor braced rafters, seven cants, moulded wall plates, two octagonal crown posts with moulded bases and capitals. Remnants of the original vault remain in the nave, consisting of abutments and the springing for the transverse arches. An early 12th-century apse features a plain, half-domed vault and three windows with round heads composed of two arches constructed of Roman brick, with external jambs and splays incorporating free shafts. Internally, these shafts have carved or scalloped capitals and moulded bases. A semi-circular apse-arch consists of two plain orders and chamfered imposts. The north wall of the nave and chancel contains three windows; two are modern, and the third is similar to the windows of the apse. An early 12th-century north door has plain jambs, a round arch, and a tympanum filled with Roman bricks. There is also a second north doorway from the 12th century, featuring three round orders – two moulded and one plain – constructed of Roman brick, with shafts to the jambs, cushion capitals, a moulded abacus, and a base. The south wall displays four arches: one is modern, a late 12th-century arch with a two-centred order, a late 13th-century arch with three chamfered orders in 13th-century bricks, and a fourth arch, two-centred with a chamfered order, possibly from the 14th century. Early 12th-century window heads are positioned above the arches. The west wall contains two windows; the lower one is 14th century, featuring two pointed lights in a two-centred head set within a 12th-century opening, while the upper window dates to the 12th century. The south aisle is of late 13th or early 14th-century origin and contains three windows: two are modern, and the west window is 14th-century, with two trefoiled ogee lights and a quatrefoil within a two-centred head. A modern south doorway, a modern east archway, and a vestry have been added. The timber-framed belfry is supported by two tall posts with arch braces and a transom. The original structure contains mid-12th-century wall paintings, which were extensively restored in the late 19th century. The apse depicts St Michael, St Gabriel, and the twelve Apostles, including Saint Peter and Paul, with a centrally located Majesty figure beneath a rainbow supported by angels. Numerous figures and extensive decorative work with diaper motifs adorn the nave and chancel. The south porch was rebuilt in the 20th century.