Church Of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a parish church dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries with significant rebuilding in the late 17th century and alterations in the 19th century. It is constructed of partly-rendered sandstone rubble with raised red sandstone quoins, and has a graduated greenslate roof with coped gables. The church comprises a 4-bay nave with a west porch and aisles, a central 3-storey square tower with north and south transepts, and a single-bay chancel.

The nave is externally late 17th century, featuring moulded surround windows in the aisles and clerestory. The C19 porch is gabled and stone-built. The tower incorporates medieval fabric, but was significantly altered in the late 17th century when it had a domed cupola, which was removed in the 19th century and replaced with an extra storey and a battlemented parapet. The tower has C19 triple lancet windows. The transepts are also late 17th century, with the south transept featuring the Lowther arms in a pediment. The line of the original transept roof is visible within the tower wall. The chancel has a C17 priest’s doorway and tall round-headed windows, two in the east wall. A north vestry adjoins the chancel.

Inside the porch are remains of 3 hog-back coffin lids and a Saxon cross shaft. The north arcade has 3 round piers with carved capitals, supporting round arches. The south arcade has similar round arches supported by 13th-century octagonal piers. A font dates from approximately 1686 and is inscribed "TA." Numerous marble wall plaques commemorate members of the Lowther family, alongside C20 heraldic stained glass in the south windows. A pointed arch defines the tower's opening. The Hanoverian Royal Arms of the third period (1816-37) are displayed on the gallery and above the pews. The south transept contains elaborate monuments, including an alabaster effigy of Sir Richard Lowther (1608) with a wall-mounted heraldic plaque, a marble effigy of John Viscount Lowther (1700) with a wall plaque, and an elaborate wall plaque displaying busts of John Lowther and Lord Lowther (1675) with garlands and a railed backdrop. Further C19 and C20 marble, brass monuments, and wall plaques honoring the Lowther family are located in the south transept and the chancel. The dado panelling appears to be 17th century, while the altar rail is a 19th-century imitation of 17th-century design.