Church Of St Michael And All Angels

Church of St Michael and All Angels

This church dates from the late 12th century through to the 15th century, with significant restoration carried out in 1827 by Thomas Rickman. The building is constructed of coursed squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, supplemented by some marlstone ashlar, beneath Welsh-slate and lead roofs.

The church comprises an aisled 4-bay nave, chancel, west tower, and south porch. The 3-bay early 14th-century chancel retains 2-light side windows, though these are blocked in the west bay, reduced to a single light in the middle bay, and intact only in the east bay. A large 5-light Perpendicular east window dominates the east end, while a priest's door to the south is blocked. The contemporary south aisle contains three similar Decorated 2-light windows to the south, a 4-light window to the east, and a 3-light window to the west with restored tracery. The 14th-century porch features an entrance arch of 2 chamfered orders springing from moulded corbels and shelters a blocked, re-set 13th-century opening of 2 pointed arches with a central shaft. Beneath this lies the late Romanesque south doorway, with an outer order of chevrons and detached shafts, its inner order replaced by a 14th-century double-cusped arch.

The north aisle retains 2 large late 13th-century lancets and a 3-light early 14th-century traceried window, with a 15th-century window of 2 traceried lights under a 4-centred arch at the extreme east end. A 14th-century north doorway features continuous mouldings. All roofs have parapets. The fine 5-window 15th-century clerestory displays square-headed richly-cusped 2-light traceried windows in deep casement mouldings.

The late 14th-century ashlar tower, buttressed by full-height diagonal buttresses, contains a 2-light west window with early Perpendicular tracery positioned above a 15th-century doorway with continuous mouldings and Tudor flowers in the hood mould. The top stage has large transomed 2-light openings with 4-centred arches and tracery. A 15th-century limestone crenellated parapet is banded with blind quatrefoils and features corner gargoyles.

The interior contains a chancel with a large sedilia and piscina by Rickman and a series of 15th-century corbels. The 4-bay 13th-century nave arcades have round piers and moulded capitals with 2-chamfered-order arches. A 14th-century chancel arch features continuous mouldings, while the tall tower arch displays 4 chamfered orders. Fifteenth-century corbels sit below the clerestory. Cusped piscinas appear in both aisles. Ribbed plaster ceilings with square bosses, all by Rickman, cover the interior.

Furnishings include oak pews with elaborate blind-tracery bench ends, early 19th-century box pews, an early 19th-century three-decker pulpit incorporating some 15th-century traceried panels, a 16th-century parclose screen with linenfold panels (now the vestry), and a 15th-century panelled font. A fragmentary series of early 14th-century wall paintings of outstanding quality survives in the south aisle. Fifteenth and early 16th-century brasses in the chancel include large canopied figures of John and Alice Wilcotes dated 1410. Two early 14th-century stone effigies in arched recesses in the north aisle are believed to represent Robert de Vere and Margery Dyve, Abbess of Godstow and probably his widow.

Monuments include a full-length reclining figure by Chantrey of Mary Anne Boulton (dated 1834) on a tomb chest set against a Perpendicular-style panelled recess in the north wall of the chancel. Eight hatchments commemorate members of the Tracy and Keck families (18th century) and the Stratton and Boulton families (early 19th century). Stained glass by Hardman in the tower window dates from 1853, with a 19th-century window in the north aisle.