Church Of St Michael

Church of St Michael

This is a parish church with 13th-century origins, substantially rebuilt and altered over subsequent centuries. The building underwent significant remodelling in the 15th century (tower and aisle), a remodelling of the north chancel chapel in 1669, and major restorations in the 1850s and 1870s.

The church is constructed of Heavitree brecchia for the main walls, with ashlar stonework to the tower, snecked stone to the nave and chancel, and coursed rubble to the north aisle. Dressings are of Beerstone, Bathstone and brecchia, with slate roofs throughout. The plan comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, north aisle of 5 bays, and south porch.

According to an 1843 account, the original 13th-century church may have been a simple nave and chancel structure, with the tower and north aisle added in Perpendicular style. There is some uncertainty about the north aisle's date—it may be early 16th century or possibly a remodelling of 1669 by Aaron Baker of Bowhay, similar to the south aisle at Exminster. An inscription in the north chancel chapel records that Aaron Baker built "this part of the church" in 1669. External masonry shows evidence of rebuilding, though the arcade piers appear pre-Reformation based on the rood screen design.

By 1846 the building was described as "a picture of desolation," prompting restorations around the 1850s and a thorough restoration in the 1870s. The chancel contains a circa 1850s three-light traceried east window with a hoodmould, and two 1870s single-light cinquefoil-headed windows with hoodmoulds on the south side, alongside a chamfered priest's doorway of the same period. A large 19th-century buttress with set-offs marks the junction between nave and chancel on the south side. The nave gable is crowned with a foliated stone cross.

The south porch, also topped with a stone foliated cross, is largely 19th-century work with diagonal buttresses and sits approximately central to the nave. It contains a two-light Decorated-style window (circa 1870s) with a hoodmould and carved head label stops to its east, and a similar three-light window to the west.

The north aisle, which is taller than the chancel, has a probably 1850s east window with debased intersecting tracery and a small 19th-century three-light Perpendicular-style west window. The four-bay north side features windows with three round-headed Beerstone chamfered lights in square-headed architraves on the easternmost bay. The next two windows westward are similar in design but of brecchia with stanchions and saddle bars. Between these windows stands a rectangular rood stair turret with a sloping slate roof. The westernmost north window is a three-light circa 1870s Decorated window with hoodmould and carved label stops; rebuilding of the surrounding wall here may have replaced a west gallery entrance recorded in 1843.

The west tower is a slim three-stage battlemented structure with a battlemented polygonal south-east projecting stair turret that rises above the tower's height. The turret's top stage is rendered. The tower features diagonal buttresses to the west, a single buttress at the north-east, no pinnacles, and a single string course that rises as a hoodmould over a chamfered rectangular opening at bellringer's stage on the south face. The west face has a shallow-moulded arched granite doorway and a three-light Perpendicular west window with a hoodmould and replaced mullions. Two-light traceried belfry windows appear on all four faces.

Interior

The interior walls are plastered except for the tower. The chancel arch is chamfered and dies into the walls; the tower arch is double-chamfered with the inner arch similarly dying into the walls. The five-bay arcade features octagonal brecchia monolith piers on square bases with moulded octagonal capitals of early Renaissance character, supporting double-chamfered rounded arches. The two chancel bays of the arcade are narrower and lower than the rest.

Unceiled wagon roofs with moulded ribs span the church, with most of the bosses being medieval featuring bold foliage carving and numerous heads—a particularly fine set. Additional ribs and bosses form a ceilure above the rood screen. The screen itself is a Pevsner 'A' type with coving and a frieze that incorporates traceried timber casing round one of the aisle piers. The screen was noted as "remains" in 1843 and was largely reconstructed by Herbert Read in 1892, with additional work by the Herbert Read firm in 1962. The medieval rood loft stair survives intact, unusually including the door to the stair, which is a single plank with studs.

The parclose screen is also notable, consisting of four square-headed bays (including a doorway) with traceried heads and cresting. Most chancel fittings date to the late 19th century, though circa 1850s painted texts on tin survive on the east wall.

The nave contains a good set of probably early 16th-century and late 19th-century Herbert Read copy bench ends and benches. The 16th-century benches are unusual in presenting a consistent design throughout: two tiers of tracery with foliage variations in the border, one featuring a plaited design border.

A fine octagonal Beerstone font features a bowl decorated with deeply-cut quatrefoils and a stem decorated with tracery. The font cover is ogival from the 17th century with wooden inlay and a ball finial. A 1903 five-sided timber drum pulpit on a winglass stem, designed by Herbert Read, features nodding ogee arches, foliage carving, and figures of missionary saints flanking a figure of Christ.

The chancel and chancel chapel windows of the 1870s were probably designed by Beer and Driffield.

Monuments and Historical Interest

The church contains an interesting collection of monuments, including late 17th-century ledger stones used as nave paving. A large wall monument signed by W. Tylor (who also designed the Lawrence monument in Westminster Abbey) commemorates Major-General Stringer Lawrence, who died in 1775. The monument is constructed of grey marble with an obelisk form, featuring a portrait medallion in white marble, white marble military trophies including a turban, and an inscription panel below. The epitaph was composed by Hannah More and reads: "In vain this frail Memorial Friendship rears, / His Dearest Monuments an army's tears / ". Major-General Stringer Lawrence commanded the British Army in India and left a legacy of £50,000 to Robert Palk, Governor of Madras in 1763, who later owned Haldon House in the parish.

In the chancel chapel is a wall monument to Aaron Baker, the first English Governor in India, who died in 1683. It features Corinthian columns and an entablature with achievements above. An inscription records that Baker built this part of the chapel in 1669. The south wall of the nave carries a pair of early 19th-century monuments to the Pitman family of Dunchideock House—white marble tablets crowned with urns on grey obelisks. A 1803 painted Royal Arms appear on the south wall of the nave.

Herbert Read, the ecclesiastical craftsman responsible for much restoration work to the church's woodwork, purchased the advowson. The church is particularly important for its outstanding woodwork.