Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael

Parish church built 1909–11 to designs by Ninian Comper. The tower appears to be the last element of the building. Construction is squared elvan rubble with granite dressings. The roof is slate with ridge tiles and gable ends with raised coped verges.

The plan comprises a nave and chancel in one, north and south aisles each with a porch, and a tower to the south west. The church is built in the Perpendicular style.

The west end of the chancel projects beyond the aisles and has an embattled parapet at north and south sides. A 5-light east window with 4-centred arch and hood mould has a breather above and cross finial. North and south sides have 3-light windows.

The south aisle contains 9 bays with a porch set in the third bay from the east. All windows are 3-light with cusped lights and square heads. A buttress to the left rises above eaves level with double panelled doors and a 4-light east window. The west end has a 6-light window, with a single storey porch below featuring a 4-centred arch doorway with double doors, and 2-light windows to right and left.

The north aisle also has 9 bays with a porch in the third bay from the east. All windows are 3-light with 4-centred arched lights, the central light taller with 4-centred arch and hood mould. A buttress with gablet stands to the right. A 2-storey porch with embattled parapet and string courses has a 4-centred arched doorway with ogee hood rising to an image niche with shield to right and left. A flight of granite steps leads up to the porch with low walls to sides with granite coping. The basement contains a 2-light window and single light with door to the right, and 4-light and 2-light windows to the left. The east end of the aisle has a 4-light basement window and 4-light upper window with a lower 2-light section. A stair turret with door is topped by an octagonal bellcote of 2 storeys with open cusped arches and embattled parapet. The west end has a 6-light window.

At the west end of the nave is a 4-light window with intersecting tracery and 4-centred arch with hood mould, breather above and cross finial. A flight of granite steps to the north leads to a small embattled porch with 4-centred arched doorway.

The south west tower comprises four stages on a moulded plinth with string courses and embattled parapet. Set-back weathered buttresses rise to pyramidal pinnacles above the battlements. The fourth stage has 3-light bell-openings with crocketed ogee hoods with finials and louvres. A north stair tower in three stages has an embattled parapet and lancets; the first stage has a 3-light window to east and west, and the second stage has 2-light windows to east, west and north.

The interior features nave, chancel and aisles all with ceiled wagon roofs. The aisles have plain moulded ribs. The nave has a carved wall-plate, ribs and bosses painted white. The chancel has more elaborate carving with carved angels on the bosses and moulded cross braces in polychromatic colours.

There are 9-bay north and south arcades in dark grey unpolished marble, with piers a variation on the Pevsner A-type featuring a more prominent inner section and cable-moulded capitals. The arches are 4-centred with 2 chamfered orders. A doorway from the upper storey of the north porch leads to the roof loft. The rood screen is carved wood of high quality with open arches. Panelled dado panelling is complete around the whole interior.

The chancel and south chapel have piscinas. The north chapel is used as an organ chamber.

Fittings include panelled wooden benches in the nave and aisles. In the chancel the stalls have poppy-head bench-ends. A panelled wooden pulpit stands in the nave. An octagonal stone font with carved sides and carved square foot is placed in the nave. The organ is of 20th-century date with gilded decorative figures, designed by Sebastian Comper.