Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael, Barton Turf

A parish church of considerable architectural importance, combining work from the 14th to 15th centuries. The nave and aisles date from the 14th century, with the west tower added in the 15th century. The aisles and chancel were remodelled in the 15th century following a bequest dated 1494 for this work. The south chancel chapel dates from 1440-45. The church was restored in 1890 and again in 1934.

The building is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings beneath slate roofs. The three-stage tower is supported by flushwork diagonal buttresses rising from a flushwork plinth. The arched west doorway is enriched with three orders of double wave mouldings, below a three-light west window. Above the window sits a cusped statuary niche beneath a square hood on labels. String courses divide the storeys. Square ringing chamber ventilation panels take the form of cusped four-petal tracery with hoods on labels. The belfry windows are two-light with louvred openings, though the tracery has been removed. The parapet is crenellated flushwork, with a stair tower to the south-east.

The south nave aisle has a two-light west window. The south porch is gabled, constructed of knapped flint with a blocked entrance; its gable was rebuilt in brick in 1890. The porch features diagonal corner buttresses and stepped side buttresses, all decorated with shields and flushwork quatrefoils on plinths. Three-light Perpendicular windows light the nave aisles to north and south, elaborated by rising supermullions. Four two-light clerestory windows of early 14th-century date feature single reticulation units.

The south chancel chapel, a structure of two bays, is lit through a single three-light Perpendicular south window and supported by two stepped side buttresses and a low diagonal east buttress. Diagonal eastern chancel buttresses support the chancel. The east window, a four-light opening of sub-arcuated type, was restored. Two Perpendicular two-light north chancel windows sit beneath depressed arches.

The north porch is a square two-storey structure of the 15th century, built of knapped and coursed flint. Diagonal buttresses to the ground floor develop into square corner turrets rising to a crenellated parapet. Heraldic shields decorate the plinth. The arched entrance, below square hoods on head stops, has spandrels with shields and tracery. Above are three statuary niches beneath nodding ogee canopies. A string course below the parapet is enriched with carved patera, mask, rose and lion. Two-light reticulated side windows and single square lancets serve the parvis. The interior of the porch is vaulted with a two-bay tierceron vault with carved and painted foliate bosses. The ribs are stone with plastered brick cells. The inner door carries 14th-century mouldings.

The interior features a four-bay arcade of octagonal piers with polygonal capitals and bases, supporting double chamfered arches. A Perpendicular tower arch of hollow and roll mouldings rises on semi-circular responds. A double hollow chamfered chancel arch sits on polygonal responds. The nave roof, dating from 1890, is of king post construction with straight braces; the aisles have plastered and boarded roofs. A wave moulded arch leads from the south aisle into the chancel chapel. A blocked rood stair door survives in the north chancel arch pier, with an open door to the east. Plain sedilia and a cinquefoiled arched angle piscina are located in the south-east nave chapel.

An excellent chancel screen of circa 1440 is one of the principal features of the church. It is coved to the west and crowned with a skeleton vault. It comprises three bays to right and left of the arched opening, with the dado divided into two panels in each bay. Each panel has a base of carved cusped encircled quatrefoils and closely worked tracery head, decorated with paintings of Court quality. The north side depicts St Apollonia, St Citha (or Osyth), St Raphael, St Gabriel, Dominaciones and Seraphim. The south side shows figures representing cherubim, principatus, Throne, Archangels, angels and St Barbara. The screen lights are cusped below the coving. The dado of the screen between the aisle and chancel chapel comprises two bays on each side of the opening with tracery heads of mouchette tracery, decorated with paintings of lesser quality. The north side shows St Edmund and St Edward the Confessor; the south side depicts St Olave and Henry VI.

A two-bay Perpendicular south chancel arcade has four lobes on high polygonal bases and polygonal capitals supporting double wave moulded arches. The chancel roof is boarded and plastered, while the chapel roof is of rafter construction. An ogeed piscina adorns the chapel. Several 16th-century poppyhead bench ends are mounted on 19th-century chancel stalls.

An early 14th-century octagonal font displays trefoil-headed lancets to panels of stem and bowl. Fragments of 15th-century glass survive in the north aisle east window.

A wall monument on the east wall of the chancel chapel commemorates Sarah Norris, died 1787. It is constructed of alabaster and marble, with a weeping cherub reclining against a broken column. A coat of arms appears above, with the cresting of a single urn, and an inscription panel on the apron.

Two brasses in the south nave aisle commemorate Thomas Amys (1445) and John Idewynne (1447). Two further brasses in the nave record Andree Emmeston (1488) and John Idewyn (1497).