Church Of St Michael

The Church of St. Michael is a church with origins dating back to the 12th century, located in Newton Purcell with Shelswell. It was repaired in 1813 and underwent significant restoration from 1875 to 1876 by C.N. Beazley, which involved rebuilding the structure while retaining only the foundations of the original walls. A 12th-century doorway was relocated from the north to the south entrance. The church features a 19th-century bell-gabled vestry and porch, and is constructed of stucco with limestone quoins, topped with a 20th-century tile roof. The building consists of a combined nave and chancel with a three-window range. The south doorway is adorned with 12th-century zig-zag decoration and a tympanum depicting a dove and serpents. Inside, there are late 19th-century, two- and three-light lancet windows, as well as a 14th-century ogee-headed window in the south wall of the chancel. Notable interior features include a 13th-century piscina and aumbry, 19th-century fixtures and fittings, and a 17th-century parish chest. A 13th-century incised slab commemorates a heart burial. There are marble wall memorials to Gilbert Harrison, a merchant who died in 1790, and to other members of the Harrison family of Shelswell Park. The north window of the nave contains early 19th-century stained glass in the style of Eginton, along with 18th-century wall memorials to Edward and Samuel Trotman. Additionally, on a stone plinth to the left of the porch, there are two 17th-century limestone effigies from Shelswell Church, which was demolished in 1810.