Church of St Michael

Church of St Michael

This grade II listed church comprises a nave, chancel, north porch and west belfry, constructed of grey rock-faced stone, partly snecked, beneath a slate roof with decorative cresting. The west gable end is slate-hung with a high plinth.

Exterior

The church windows are geometrical, positioned to the north and south sides beneath chamfered polychrome heads. They contain lancets in plate tracery, with quatrefoils or sexfoils set in recessed roundels. The gabled porch is offset to the right of the north side, with a steeply pitched slate roof, raised copings and ornate angle buttresses. The entrance features a pointed polychrome arch, under which are sandstone roll mouldings supported on ringed nook-shafts with foliate capitals. Single lights with trefoiled heads flank each side of the porch entrance; the projecting rafters have decorated ends.

The nave's north side contains three windows to the left of the porch—arranged as 2-light, single light, and 2-light—with a single light to the right of the porch. Angle buttresses are positioned towards the centre and at the north-east angle. The south side of the nave has four similar windows, all 2-light except for a single light second from the right, with three angle buttresses including one at the south-east angle.

The chancel is lower and narrower than the nave, with more ornate window detail. Two single lights occupy the north side, both beneath gabled half-dormers; the lancets have trefoiled heads and polychrome arches supported by ringed nook-shafts with foliate capitals, flanked by gargoyles. The east end contains a Perpendicular 3-light window in bar tracery, with cinquefoiled light heads and a hoodmould featuring head bosses. The south side of the chancel has two lights under gabled half-dormers without nook-shafts; projecting stones to the sides of the arched heads suggest provision for gargoyles which were never carved.

The short timber belfry is supported on a splayed leaded base beneath a swept pyramidal roof covered with slate and topped by a weather vane. The sides contain 4-light wooden louvre openings, each with a cusped arched head.

Interior

Inside the porch is a scissor-braced roof, a heavy boarded door with strap hinges beneath a chamfered arch leading into the church.

The nave features a 7-bay roof with light arched-brace trusses alternating with collar trusses; the arched-brace trusses have curved struts above the braces and are supported on wall posts seated on carved stone corbels. At the west end is a 4-centred archway containing double panelled doors with plastering beneath the arch. To its left stands a 19th-century octagonal stone font with moulded base to the bowl, on an octagonal stem. A central aisle is flanked by pews with carved rosettes to the bench ends. A large wooden pulpit to the north-east contains recessed panels with earlier, possibly Jacobean work, likely from the medieval church.

The chancel arch is ornate, with a wide 4-centred arch featuring several orders of roll mouldings, supported on large carved wooden capitals set on short black marble shafts sprung from carved corbels. The capitals and corbels are decorated with oak and chestnut leaves, ears of corn, and doves. Two steps lead up to the chancel, which has a 3-bay arched-brace roof with light trusses featuring incised circles to the braces and King posts. The chancel floor is laid with encaustic tiles. Choir stalls with panelled fronts are present. One further step leads to the sanctuary, where a wooden altar rail with turned balusters and open trefoiled arches has spandrels decorated with rosettes and a dentilled handrail.

The double doors at the west end of the nave lead to an entrance passage. Opposite is the chamber beneath the belfry, supported by three large chamfered wooden posts bearing large cross-beams on wooden plates; these support the belfry and are probably 17th century. The chamber is now divided, with a vestry to the south side.

The church contains no stained glass.

Monuments

The monuments are all 19th century. In the chancel, a slate tablet with trefoiled-arched head set in a decorated stone surround with triangular head supported on foliated shafts commemorates Henry Humphrys (died 1824) and his wife Jane (died 1842). Opposite is a shaped marble tablet to Nicholas Bennett of Glanyrafon (died 1847) and his relatives. In the nave, a stone tablet with triangular head supported on marble shafts with foliate capitals, with a coat of arms at the apex, commemorates Evan Woosnam of Badioch (died 1837).