Church Of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a church dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. A north chapel was added in 1872 by A. Salvin, and the chancel was restored in 1859-60 by W. Slater and in 1881 by Butler. The church is constructed of regular coursed lias, limestone, and lias ashlar, with slate, lead, and aluminium roofs. It comprises an aisled nave, a chancel, and a west tower. The chancel, built of ashlar, features a single 2-light window with trefoiled tracery in a French Gothic style, and a similar 3-light east window, both beneath a gabled roof with an ashlar cornice, gable parapets, and a finial. A south vestry projection, in a similar style, has a 3-light south window with Gothic decoration, and a figure of St Michael above the south-east entrance, also with similar decoration. The north chapel, built with rusticated lias and ashlar dressings, has a 3-light north window and two lancet windows to the east, covered by a shallow gabled roof with a parapet and finial. The south aisle features a two-window range of 3-light square-headed windows, a 2-light west window, and a lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets. A 14th-century gabled porch on the left has a double chamfered arch, ashlar gable parapets and a finial. The north aisle has a two-window range of 2-light square-headed windows, a door to the right, and a 2-light west window, also under a lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets. The nave clerestory has a three-window range of 2-light square-headed Perpendicular windows beneath a shallow-pitched roof with an ashlar parapet. The west tower, of Perpendicular style, has four stages; the base is of regular coursed lias, and the upper part of limestone ashlar. The west door has a 2-light window above. The fourth stage is characterised by pairs of 2-light bell chamber openings with an ogee super arch on each face, a quatrefoil frieze above, a castellated parapet, and pinnacle stumps. Inside, the chancel contains blank arcading to the left and right of the altar, with French Gothic decoration around the windows and to roof corbels. The 3-bay nave arcade features double chamfered pointed arches with quatrefoil piers; the north pier is 13th century, and the south is 14th century. A double chamfered tower arch is also present. The church has 19th-century roofs. Stained glass windows, painted by Viscountess Hilton around 1872, are located in the north chapel, and a window from Alan Younger dates to 1966. A chancel screen, wrought ironwork probably from the 18th century and likely reset, and a continental Gothic tower screen dated 1842 are also present. A Jacobean pulpit with decorated panels, a panelled back, and tester is also a feature. Monuments include a marble tablet by Benjamin Button to George Ashby who died in 1802, a similar tablet to William Wykes who died in 1747, and several other 19th-century tablets. A large tablet to the Pell family from 1907 incorporates ironwork in the form of a spider's web. A painted tablet of St George commemorates Charles Bower Ismay. Three bays of pews, likely from the 15th century, are located east of the nave. The font is likely 13th century and has a 19th-century base.