Church of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a simple rural church consisting of a nave and chancel. The church likely dates to the 14th century, with significant alterations and a restoration in the 19th century. A small, steep-roofed bellcote sits on the west front. A 19th-century gabled porch with a steeply-pitched roof and a simple chamfered outer archway and a mullioned light is located to the east. The north and south sides have one and two-light windows, and two-by-two-light windows respectively, all dating to the 19th century and designed in a Perpendicular style with flat heads.

The chancel roof extends to a lean-to vestry to the northeast, which features a prominent chimney with offsets and a moulded cap. The vestry has matching two-light windows to the north and south, and a two-light east window of circa 1400, featuring two cinquefoil-headed lights with a quatrefoil in a pointed arched frame under a moulded label with scroll terminals.

A repaired north doorway, likely dating from the early 15th century and of early Perpendicular character, has a pointed arch with chamfered jambs. The nave’s four-bay roof retains late Medieval chamfered collared trusses, which have been repaired, supported by wall posts down to plain corbels. The chancel roof is similar, with nine closely-spaced trusses.

The chancel arch, dating from circa 1400, features chamfered responds and a pointed arch formed of two hollow-chamfered orders springing from the faces of the responds. An inscribed stone, dating from around 550, is set into the south wall of the chancel; the inscription, in Roman capitals, reads: HIC IACIT / MACCVDECCETI (with a reversed D).

The octagonal gritstone font has a chamfered base and top, and is likely a reshaped bowl. A simple gritstone water stoup is set into the north wall of the nave.

The church’s internal arrangement largely reflects Kennedy’s restoration, including a shallow step leading to the chancel, and a further step defining the sanctuary. The sanctuary is distinguished by encaustic floor tiles and a simple communion rail with twisted stanchions supported by florid brackets. The pulpit and simple benches are contemporary with the restoration.

To the left of the east window is a marble memorial to Florance George Henry Irby, who died in 1877, and to the right is a slate memorial to Griffith Edwards of Bodafon Lys, who died in 1795, and his wife Elizabeth, who died in 1802. A black marble memorial to Margaret, wife of Morris Pritchard Morris, who died in 1732, is set into the south wall of the nave.