Church Of St Michael And All Angels

Church of St Michael and All Angels

This is an Anglican parish church built in 1867 by the architect T.H. Wyatt. The building incorporates surviving fragments from two earlier churches, those of Winterbourne Earls and Dauntsey. It is constructed of flint with limestone dressings and banding, beneath a tiled roof.

The church comprises a nave, south aisle, chancel, and a south-west tower which rises above a porch, with a north vestry adjoining. The nave features square-headed two-light windows, though one notable three-light window survives from the late 15th century, distinguished by its panelled head and quatrefoils set in the angles. A three-light window sits at the west end. The south aisle has similar but shorter two-light windows. The chancel is lit by lancet windows, with three lancets grouped at the east end, and a south priest's door provides access from outside. The south-west tower rises in three stages, with two-light bell openings of 14th-century type, a crenellated parapet, corner gargoyles, and a central pinnacle to each face, topped by a tiled pyramidal roof.

Built into the walls are three early medieval cross slabs: one at the east end and two on the tower. A mass dial appears on the south-west tower buttress. The church is entered through a moulded Bath stone door, with an inner door to the interior.

Interior

Inside, the nave comprises four bays with a three-bay arcade to the aisle. The roof is arch-braced with a collar-tie design, exposed rafters, and large carved corbels. A wide chancel arch frames the chancel beyond, which is raised three steps and tiled, with a trussed rafter roof. The chancel lacks a piscina, aumbrey, or reredos.

The font is believed to date from the 12th century, a plain bowl set upon a later octagonal pedestal. A panelled pulpit of mid-17th-century date has its upper panel and frieze carved, mounted on a 19th-century pedestal. Painted timber altar rails with arched details are also present. A late 16th to early 17th-century communion table stands at the west end of the nave.

Monuments

In the chancel's north wall stands part of a floor slab, remounted in 1952, which is alleged to commemorate Cardinal Walter Winterbourne, who died in 1304. The slab bears a relief figure holding his heart.

In the nave's north wall is a painted and gilded limestone aedicule of 17th-century date with marble columns and a Purbeck slab bearing a gilded inscription. It has a broken scrolled pediment above and coloured mantled arms, erected to John Nicholas who died in 1662.

The west wall carries two further monuments: one a shaped marble slab with a white marble panel hung with drapery, to Ann Elliott who died in 1787; the other an aedicule of coloured marbles with a triangular pediment and putti on the apron, to Nicholas Elliott (died 1776) and his widow Jane.

The south aisle contains six wall tablets. From east to west these comprise: a white slate tablet on black by White of Bath to William and Elizabeth Dyke (died 1846); a similar tablet to Dyke Skinner (died 1823); another to John Thomas Skinner (died 1826); a white marble tablet on grey with sculpted arms to Skinner Dyke Clarke (died 1826); a white shield on grey by White to Ann Heddon (died 1829); and an ornamental tablet with cornice, crest and arms against grey marble by Osmund of Sarum, commemorating various members of the Dyke family from 1745 to 1830. An additional oval monument hung with leaves, by King of Bath, commemorates Thomas Dyke who died in 1805.

A brass on the wall dates to 1661 and commemorates Canon Matthew Nicholas, displaying two separate mantled arms. In the porch is an indented slab with a quatrefoiled frieze and panelled sides; the brass is missing but a kneeling figure with inscription and three separate coats of arms are visible.

Glass

The north window contains two 13th-century roundels mounted against it: one shows a man and praying woman at a shrine, the other depicts angels raising a corpse. The chancel lancets contain 19th-century coloured glass.