Church of St Michael

Church of St Michael

Anglican parish church in simple Tudor Gothic style, dating to the Tudor period with early 20th-century alterations. The church is oriented south-southwest to north-northeast, though liturgical compass points are used in this description for convenience.

The church comprises an aisleless nave with a west bellcote and porch, and an early 20th-century short five-sided chancel. The exterior is constructed of slaty stone, with the west end slate-hung in the later 20th century (formerly rendered). The roof is of slate with shouldered gable copings.

The nave has a plinth and a stone projecting eaves course. Each long side features three chamfered Tudor-arched windows with stone voussoirs, fitted with timber Y-tracery and leaded lattice glazing, with slate sills. Diagonal two-step buttresses at the corners have chamfered bases and plinths.

At the west end stands a large gabled porch, above which is a two-light Tudor window with two small pointed windows on either side. The porch has a coped shouldered gable with cross finial, diagonal buttresses with slate caps, and a tall chamfered Tudor-arched entry. The porch interior features slate flags, a large Tudor-arched doorway with painted boarded double doors with cover strips, and a plaster segmental-pointed ceiling with coved cornice. The bellcote is rubble stone with a gabled form and Tudor arched bell-opening. A cross-gabled stone finial rises at the east end of the nave.

The chancel has a two-light south window with buttresses at the angles. Single lights serve the canted sides, and a three-light east window with broad segmental-pointed surround is fitted with stone sills. A copper Celtic cross finial surmounts the roof hip. A small gabled store-room is positioned near the west end of the north nave wall.

The interior retains a late Georgian 'preaching box' character despite the addition of the chancel. Entry is through a lobby with side doors to the vestry and gallery stairs, leading through a square-headed doorway into the nave. A broad Tudor-arched plaster ceiling with central rib and coved cornices to the side walls spans the nave. The walls are white-painted, with slate flag floors and black-painted woodwork throughout, including the gallery, rails, pews, and organ—an innovation from the time of R. S. Thomas' tenure as vicar. The west gallery rests on two thin iron columns of trefoil section, with a frieze and cornice beneath a simple panelled front of vertical panels with a square centre panel. South of the gallery are panelled partitions flanking the vestry, centre double doors to the lobby, and to the north a baptistery with low rails of cross-section uprights and an open screen to the east. A plain Tudor arch opens into the early 20th-century chancel, which has a plastered five-sided ceiling without cornice and a panelled dado. Five stone steps lead progressively to the chancel arch, stalls, rails, and altar. The altar rails are similar to those of the baptistery, presumed reused. The floor is tiled.

From the lobby, a boarded door provides access to steep timber stairs on the north side, leading to a raked gallery with six rows of original simple open-back benches. A panelled door on the south serves the vestry.

Furnishings include an early medieval ashlar bowl font in the baptistery, with rough incised lines near the rim and a later square pedestal with splayed base. Black-painted pews and benches include panelled box pews in the front five rows. A black-painted octagonal wooden pulpit is decorated with paired panels, some showing minimal Gothic tracery. A black-painted simple timber lectern with Gothic bookrest top (now in the baptistery) stands opposite the pulpit. The organ, by G. Osmond and dating to the late 19th century, was brought into the church circa 1945–1946 and is also painted black. Two wrought-iron hanging corona lights date to circa 1960 and were made by A. Knight. Painted boards on the north nave wall display the Lord's Prayer, Commandments, and Creed, dating to circa 1833. A similar painted ICBS board in the baptistery bears the names of surveyor G. Clynton and contractors David and William Lewis, dated 1833.

A memorial plaque to George Jefferys, died 1848, was created by J. Wills & Son.

Stained glass from circa 1950 includes the following: in the left single light, 'Angel at the Tomb' (1948), commemorating C. and L. Kenyon of Ranger Lodge; in the three-light east window, 'Ascension' by G. Maile & Son, commemorating the Pughs of Cymerau and Voelas, circa 1950, with later commemorations spanning Lewis Pugh Pugh (died 1906) to Nina Pugh (died 1974); and in the right single light, 'St George', a Second World War memorial.