Church Of St Michael And All Angels And Raf Chapel

The Church of St. Michael and All Angels and the RAF Chapel is an Anglican parish church and chapel for the Royal Air Force base, dating from the 14th to 15th centuries, with the chancel built between 1862 and 1865 by William Butterfield. The church is constructed from coursed limestone, with ashlar stone used for the lower part of the tower and porch. The roof is covered with slate, including some old stone slates and asbestos slates. The nave and south porch date from the 15th century, with a north aisle that has been extensively restored. The short west tower, built in the late 14th century, features a two-stage design with crenellations and a west door dating from around 1350 to 1400. The nave windows have been restored in the Perpendicular style, while the chancel showcases Decorated forms with a mid-wall string that steps up at the east end. There is a transverse gabled vestry.

Internally, the church has a four-bay nave arcade from the 19th century and a five-bay roof with scissor braces and cinquefoils in the apex boarding, designed by Butterfield. The chancel has a two-bay roof with trussed rafters. Notable interior features include a large sedilia, a severe piscina, and an aisle roof with moulded rafters and purlins dating from 1680. The rood screen, from the 15th century, is panelled with quatrefoil tracery and lacks doors, having been heavily repainted. The tower arch screen, dating from the 17th century, features arcaded panels and pendants over the central doors, also repainted. The pulpit is from the 19th century and is part octagonal. The octagonal font sits on a moulded base and is painted.

There are several monuments in the north aisle, including one for Heneage Walker from 1758 made of veined white marble, featuring a broken pediment on Corinthian columns, crested arms, and lamenting angels. Other monuments include a marble tablet for Dionysia Walker with a segmental head, a white marble relief for John Walker Heneage from 1806 by T. King of Bath, depicting a grieving figure by a broken column on a grey marble oval, and a white and black marble monument for Arabella Walker Heneage from 1818, also by T. King, featuring a scroll with an urn above. There are additional memorials for James Button Walker from 1817 and Colebrook Walker from 1757. Near the organ is a limestone aedicule enclosing a marble plaque recording a legacy, which has been altered. A 17th-century houselling bench is located in the chancel, and the organ was made by Sweetland. The east window features glass by Gibbs.