Church Of St Michael And All Angels

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Hawkshead

This is a church dating from the late 15th or early 16th century, with significant later alterations and additions. The north aisle was rebuilt in 1578, the clerestory dates to around 1578, and the vestry and hearse house were added around 1793. The building is constructed of stone rubble with a slate roof.

The church consists of a single vessel nave and chancel, with aisles and chapels under lean-to roofs. A west tower and north-west vestry complete the plan.

The west tower has a pointed entrance on its west face, above which sits a two-light single-chamfered mullioned window. The bell opening is straight-headed and louvred. The top cornice and embattled parapet with angle pinnacles were rebuilt in 1875. On the south side of the tower is a small window with a clock face above the bell opening.

The vestry to the north of the tower has a lean-to roof and features three-light mullioned windows with rounded mullions and elliptical-headed lights. Below these is a segmental-pointed entrance to the hearse house.

The north aisle has similar three-light windows with label moulds. The western bay contains an entrance with an elliptical head, roll-moulded jambs and a rusticated arch. A gabled porch was added in 1933.

The north chapel features a three-light east window and a five-light north window of similar design to those in the aisle. The western entrance has a canted head with roll-mould and flanking hollows. Above the entrance are the Sandys arms with initials IS and the date 1578, along with a label mould and small canopy.

The north clerestory contains four windows of three lights with wooden mullions. The chancel has a five-light window of 1893 with Perpendicular tracery.

The south aisle has three straight-headed windows with cusped lights and hollow-chamfered mullions: the first is three lights with a label, the second is two lights, and the third is three lights. The first and third probably date to 1875. The chapel has a pointed entrance, now converted to a window, and a two-light window with label mould. An east three-light hollow-chamfered mullioned window is also present. To the left of the former entrance is part of a cusped window head. The clerestory contains four windows with three segmental-headed lights. A datestone, possibly renewed, bears the date 1633 beneath a cable mould, likely indicating the date of the south windows.

The interior contains five-bay arcades with simple segmental arches on round piers without capitals or bases. These piers are heavily plastered with whitewash and painted decoration to the extradoses and pier heads, work executed by J.S. Addison around 1680. The piers on the south side are slightly squared. The roof features tie beams and collar trusses. The aisles have chamfered principal rafters and purlins, whilst those to the north chapel have mouldings.

Wall paintings of texts in ornamental surrounds by J. Addison date to around 1680. Some paintings were possibly restored by W. Mackreth in 1711, who also painted a list of church wardens for that year on the intrados of the north arcade. Paintings to the outer aisle walls and two in the nave were repainted by W. Bolton in 1876, along with the west wall painting.

Wall monuments are set into the nave clerestories. The west wall displays two elaborate Rawlinson monuments originally from the Church of St Dionis Backchurch in London. These commemorate Daniel (died 1679) and Sir Thomas (died 1706), both featuring columns, entablatures, cherubs and cartouches. In the north chapel is a chest tomb of William and Margaret Sandys with recumbent effigies, dated 1578.

Screens, east wall panelling, stalls, pulpit and font all date to 1875. The church contains late 19th-century stained glass in the east and south windows.