Church Of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a 13th, 14th, and 15th-century church, largely rebuilt in 1858 by William White. It is constructed of coursed squared ironstone with some limestone banding, with slate roofs to the chancel and porch, and a copper roof to the nave and aisles. The church comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a west tower.

The chancel features a two-bay design with a two-light east window containing plate tracery, a smaller two-light window to the south-east, and a one-light window to the south-west, all with plate tracery and a small lancet window to the north. A hollow-chamfered priest’s door is situated on the south side. A vestry is attached to the north side, with a similar west door and a small cinquefoil-headed east window. The chancel incorporates quoins, a high stepped chamfered plinth that extends over the doors, and a stone-coped gable with kneelers.

The nave has a two-bay clerestory with straight-headed one-light windows featuring cut spandrels and cinquefoiled lights. The north aisle has a two-light east window with Decorated style tracery, a three-light window to the north-east, and one-light windows to the north-west and west, all with cinquefoil-headed lights. A north doorway has a raised hollow chamfer, and a ridged plank door. The south aisle mirrors the north aisle’s windows, except for a two-light Decorated style window to the south-west. The south doorway features hollow-chamfered jambs, imposts, and a six-panel double-leaf door. The south porch has a hollow-chamfered doorway, quatrefoil windows to the east and west, a chamfered plinth, and a stone-coped gable. The clerestory and aisles showcase overhanging moulded timber eaves, the rafters extending as brackets. A moulded sill band is present on the south aisle.

The three-stage west tower has a 19th-century Caernarvon-arched west door with a one-light cinquefoil-headed window above, deep hollow-chamfered splays, and a cast-iron clock face. A one-light window is located to the south of the middle stage. It also incorporates two-light bell openings and a battlemented parapet. Hood moulds adorn the windows, excluding those of the clerestory and porch.

Inside, the chancel has an arch-braced collar truss roof. A double-chamfered chancel arch is supported by polygonal responds. The nave features four-bay arcades with polygonal responds, octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals, and double-chamfered arches. An exception is the west bay of the north aisle, where the stonework is limestone with a double-chamfered arch, outer chamfer on polygonal responds and capitals, and a solid masonry pier. A pointed trefoil-headed piscina is found in the south aisle, and the nave has a Perpendicular style roof. Seating includes cut-down box pews. 19th-century stained glass is present in the east and north chancel windows. Coloured glass and patterned leading decorate the heads of most windows. The church also contains royal arms painted on a tin plate above the west door, and a charity board over the door to the tower.