Church Of Saint Michael And All Saints

Church of Saint Michael and All Saints

An Anglican parish church of cruciform plan with a central tower and broach spire, built over several centuries from the 12th to the 19th centuries. The church stands at Lower Dowdeswell and comprises a nave with a vestry on the north side towards the west end, north and south transepts, a chancel with an organ chamber on the south side, and a central crossing tower.

The exterior is constructed principally in coursed squared and dressed limestone, with ashlar used for the chancel at the east end and south side, the south transept, organ chamber, vestry, tower and spire, and partly at the west end of the nave. The roof is covered in purple tile. The nave has a flat-chamfered plinth and buttresses at the west end, and features a three-light 19th-century window with stilted-headed lights and a central circular light flanked by semi-circles at the top. A buttressed 19th-century vestry adjoins, with a plank door set within a flat-chamfered basket-headed surround. Two-light stone-mullioned windows with pointed trefoil-headed lights appear in the left-hand wall, with a restored 14th-century style two-light window with tracery also present on the nave's left side.

The 16th-century north transept has a flat-chamfered plinth and displays three-light hollow-chamfered stone-mullioned windows with carved spandrels and stopped hoods in the right-hand wall, with cinquefoil heads to each light. Similar windows appear in the gable end within an almost round-headed surround with tracery and stopped hood, and a further round-headed window with tracery and stopped hood to the north.

The east wall contains a 19th-century door set up four stone steps with fillets, and a 19th-century hollow-moulded stone-mullioned window with carved spandrels and stopped hood. A single-light window on the south side features a cinquefoil head and stopped hood. The 19th-century organ chamber adjoins with a plank door having coverstrips within a deeply moulded four-centred arched surround and stopped hood. Below the doorway are fragments of reused stonework in the form of trefoil-headed moulding. The south wall displays a tall two-light hollow-chamfered stone-mullioned window with cinquefoil-headed lights and stopped hoods. Notably, a small 12th-century tympanum appears above a window, carved with a motif representing Zechariah's golden seven-branched candlestick and a stopped hood decorated with dogtooth.

The south transept, built c.1630, features a three-light mid-18th-century stone-mullioned window to the gable end with a four-centred arched head and stone panelling in place of tracery. A sundial with a metal gnomon, Roman numerals and letters I and A at the top is mounted above. A monument to Robert Rogers (died 1777) stands to the left of the window, executed in limestone with a draped urn and roundels at the top. A two-light stone-mullioned, hollow-chamfered mid-18th-century window appears in the left-hand wall with carved spandrels and stopped hood.

The broach spire was built in 1577 and features two-light round-headed stone-mullioned belfry windows with small eyebrow-shaped lights at the top above stone louvres. A string course sits at the level of the roof ridges, and the spire is decorated with four small gabled lucarnes and a pointed finial at its apex, topped with a weather vane.

The nave's south wall displays a two-light 14th-century window with trefoil-headed lights and vesica. The 16th-century south porch has a four-centred arched entrance with decorated spandrels on both sides. A ventilation slit sits above, with a 20th-century cast iron gate filling the opening. The interior of the porch has a flagged floor and stone bench seats along the side walls, with traces of a stoop on the right-hand wall near the entrance to the nave. The 19th-century pointed door has cover strips and a pointed hollow-chamfered surround, with a biblical quotation inscribed on a stone scroll above.

Interior

The interior features mid-14th-century tall segmental-pointed double-chamfered archways opening from the nave, transepts and chancel to the crossing. A 19th-century gallery occupies the west end of the nave, with another in the north transept accessed from an external door. A five-light 19th-century stone-mullioned window with Tudor-arched heads to each light and carved spandrels occupies the wall between the organ chamber and south transept.

The chancel is stepped up high over a vault and contains a segmental-headed niche to the right of the altar and the remains of a blocked priest's doorway. A 15th-century unplastered barrel roof spans the chancel with a moulded spine beam, purlins and wallplate. The nave and transepts are roofed with 19th-century seven-facetted trusses. The crossing features tierceron vaulting with a circular bell rope opening at its centre. Flagstone flooring throughout incorporates ledgers.

The Perpendicular octagonal font with quatrefoils sits at the west end of the nave. A 19th-century wooden pulpit stands at the south-east corner of the crossing, with a 19th-century wooden lectern and desk nearby. Pews date from c.1840 and occupy the nave, transepts and choir. Two 17th-century flat-backed ornately carved chairs flank the altar. A 20th-century brass communion rail is present. The east window takes the form of a triplet displaying the Ten Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer. A 17th-century Dutch chandelier lights the chancel.

Monuments and Memorials

A small brass plaque to John Crowther, former parson (died 1623), is set in a ledger to the right of the altar. A brass of a priest in processional robes of c.1520 attributed to William Rogers is set within a ledger at the centre of the chancel below the sanctuary, with two small brass roundels of similar date lower left and right.

On the chancel north wall stands a 19th-century monument to Reverend Charles Corwell of Ablington Manor House, former rector (died 1854). A fine monument to William Rogers (died 1734) appears on the left; executed in marble by Christopher Horsnaile the elder, it features a gadrooned base, portrait bust, Composite columns, and a broken segmental pediment with cherubs and swags of flowers supporting a coat of arms. The south wall contains a 17th-century monument probably to William Rogers, executed in limestone with a slate stone inscription plaque and heraldic shield at the top within a broken segmental pediment.

On the west wall of the south transept (from left to right): a monument to Edward Rich of Upper Dowdeswell, a painted stone Baroque tablet highlighted in gold with barley-twist columns with Corinthian capitals and a broken segmental pediment with heraldic shield, with a small oval plaque below to Reverend Edward Rich (died 1895); a monument to Bailey Rich, eldest son of Lionel Rich of Upper Dowdeswell (died 1728), executed in large marble with heraldic shield at the top; and a classical marble tablet to William Welch of Hawford, Worcester (died 1833) on the east wall. The south wall further displays a monument to Major-General George Bridges (died 1896) with fluted Corinthian pilasters, pediment and heraldic shield. To its right stands a monument to William Rogers (died 1663) and Elizabeth Rogers (died 1670) of Sandiwell; painted stone with two draped figures with laurel leaf crowns, a shrouded body within a segmental pediment, heraldic shield at the top flanked by two skulls, and an apron with angel's head and swag below.

On the north transept west wall, a white and grey marble monument to Edward Rogers (died 1810) displays a draped urn. Various other 19th-century monuments to members of the Rogers family are scattered throughout. An inscription incised into a windowsill dated 1577 records: 'THIS SPIER WAS BUILT BY WILLIAM ROGERS...' followed by further names of benefactors in primitive script.

Hanoverian Royal arms hang over the chancel arch. Three hatchments are present within the church: one of 1736 with the arms of Lionel Rich, and two others with Rogers and Coxwell Rogers arms.

Stained Glass

The east window contains stained glass by J. Hartley of Wear Glass Works, c.1849, and 19th-century stained glass by Nora Yoxall and Elsie Whitford of Blockley, installed in 1959.

A 12th-century tympanum, recorded as having been excavated from the site in a 19th-century church guide, is noted in the architectural record.