Church Of St Michael The Archangel

SHALFLEET

SZ48NW A 3054 1354-0/6/252 CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL 18/01/67 (Formerly Listed as: The Parish Church)

GV I

Parish church. Saxo-Norman tower of c.1070 and north doorway of c.1150, south arcade, north aisle and chancel C13 but south windows probably replaced c.1630, south porch C15, north porch added 1754 and minor renovations of 1890. 3 bay chancel, 4 bay nave with south aisle, north and south porches and wide squat west tower which was used as a place of refuge from French invaders. Built of stone rubble, coursed to Nave and with ashlar repairs to tower. Tiled roofs. West tower of 1070 has corner square turrets and clasping buttresses added c.1380. Billet frieze. South west turret has 3 Norman openings. South front has lancet with C14 trefoliated head and west front has 4 centred arched window with hood moulding. East front has double Norman paired lancet. North front has trefoliated windows. Round-headed arch to base of tower. The tower used to house the town gun until 1779. North doorway of c.1150 has 2 orders of columns with decorated scallop capitals and tympanum with bearded man in long robe grasping 2 lions, one with frontal head, one in profile, with long tails sprouting into ornamental forms. North porch of 1754 is gabled with coping and kneelers, round headed arch with drip moulding and columns. Nave has buttresses and 3 tall arched windows of c.1812. Chancel is C13 of 3 bays with bar tracery having mullions round in section. Paired lancets with trefoils. 2 windows to south side and 3 windows to north front. C13 East window with 3 lancets and 3 circular lights above with inserted quatrefoils. South aisle of 1270 has East window with 3 lancets and tracery above. Cross-shaped saddlestone. South front has 1 triple mullioned window with hood moulding and 3 triple lancets with tracery above. West window has 2 paired lancets in large arch. South porch is C15. Coursed stone rubble with deep plinth, tiled roof, lancet windows and wide arched doorcase with hood moulding. Interior has C13 south arcade with round piers, round abaci and double chamfered arches dying into a continuation of the piers. Roof to nave and north aisle is C15 crownpost. Nave has early C17 octagonal pulpit with perspective arches to top layer of panelling and diamonds to lower layer with book rest on brackets all round. C18 box pews with H-hinges, Royal Coat of Arms of George IV. Floor tablet of c.1687. North aisle has C13 column-shaped font. Trefoliated-headed piscina with sexfoil drain. Stone reredos dated 1630. Most of the windows are C17 still in the Gothic style. Chancel probably C17. Piscina. Wooden reredos of c.1908 reusing old wood. 3 early C19 wall plaques with urns, 1 signed J. Bacon, London. (N. Pevsner: B.O.E. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: 768).

Listing NGR: SZ4137489234