Catholic Church of St Michael

Late C19 church in Gothic Revival style, consisting of nave, continuous N and S aisles, and tower on SW corner. Constructed in coursed, Pennant sandstone with Bath stone dressings beneath a slated roof with two copper ventilators with conical roofs. Clerestory lit by six lancet windows with cusped heads. Lean-to, single storey aisles, lit by six, simple, two-light traceried windows. The W window is large, four-light with simple 'Y' tracery. Small projecting W porch with cusped outer door carried on engaged columns. Slender, square, three stage tower. Lower two stages in coursed Pennant stone. Pointed doorway on S side beneath canopied niche containing a statue of St Michael. Upper stage in Bath stone, base decorated with blind arcaded frieze with ballflowers above. Engaged octagonal shafts set on corners of tower rise to plain pinnacles with short, Bath stone spire. Narrow, louvered, cusped-headed belfry lights set on each face of tower. The E end has large traceried, four-light window similar to that of the W elevation.

Open scissor-framed roof with arched principles. Arcaded aisles in Early English style with richly moulded arches and capitals, supported on simple round columns. Timber screen in Jacobethan style (1926) to W end beneath organ loft. Retains complete set of high quality stained glass, E and W windows by Hardman, installed in 1894, aisle windows by Mayer of Munich c1890. Other fittings include: ornate stone gothic reredos with tall central tabernacle throne; stone gothic forward altar (possibly relocated and altered original high altar); stone and marble communion rails to the sanctuary; stone gothic font; polychrome oak statue of St Michael the Archangel to sanctuary entrance; carved Stations of the Cross (mid C20); bronze statue of St Peter at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome (copy) at W end of nave; polychrome statue of St Anthony of Padua; pieta in war memorial chapel; image of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Rome (copy); modern nave pews.