Church of Saint Michael

Church of Saint Michael

This is a parish church built primarily of rubble stone with 19th-century ashlar dressings and imitation stone tile roofs. The building comprises a west tower, nave, south porch, chancel and north-east memorial chapel, with gables throughout that lack copings.

The west tower is plain work of the 15th century, featuring a battered base, corbelled embattled parapet and pyramid roof topped with a weathercock. The broad west door is pointed and chamfered, possibly dating to the late medieval period or early 16th century, worked in white stone with a relieving arch above; a 19th-century board door has since been added. The west side displays a small medieval loop at mid-height, and the bell-opening has been altered with a cambered head and stone voussoirs; a similar bell-opening appears on the south side. Two loops exist on the south elevation, one on the north, with the northern bell-opening being rectangular and chamfered, showing traces of a lost centre mullion, possibly 16th century. The east side reveals the line of a steeper nave roof.

The nave has straight walls without a battered base. Windows are 19th-century work with cusped two-light heads containing trefoils; three such windows line the south nave wall with brick voussoirs, one stands to the left of the porch and two to the right. All are set flush without hoodmoulds.

The south porch is a large structure, possibly 17th century, with a chamfered segmental pointed doorway embellished with pyramid stops. A 20th-century sundial occupies the gable. Within, the porch features low wrought-iron gates, benches and a stone flagged floor beneath a 19th-century curved panelled roof. The inner door is 19th-century work with a cambered-headed ashlar surround and double doors.

The chancel is fitted with a 19th-century ashlar door set in a plain segmental pointed surround, and a two-light window matching those of the nave but without brick voussoirs. The east end displays a broad four-light window of 19th-century date with imitation Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould.

The north-east chapel is plain in character, its gable aligned with the chancel's east end. It contains one east window of circa 1900, a two-light with trefoil in the head, and a low door on the north side.

The north nave elevation shows a single-light pulpit window to the left, cusped with a trefoil head, followed by a three-light 19th-century pointed window containing three trefoils in the head with stone voussoirs. A lean-to outbuilding with a square east chimney and board door adjoins, and finally a two-light window with trefoil head and brick voussoirs sits above a flat-headed two-light with hoodmould.

The interior has broad plastered walls, with plaster stripped from the west and east nave walls. The tower was added to an earlier nave structure. In the nave's west wall sits a medieval first-floor pointed window with two relieving arches above and a deep segmental-pointed arch spanning the pointed west door. The nave features a panelled boarded ceiling supported by three tie beams, and stone flagged aisles. The south door has a cambered head with double baize doors, recorded as replaced in 1830. A rood loft entrance with winding stair is positioned in the north-east corner of the nave, with an opening visible in the wall above. Behind the pulpit is a recess with a cusped head. A moulded oak lintel, possibly reused, spans the pulpit window.

The broad chancel arch, with thin stone voussoirs, is probably late medieval in date. Three high steps lead to the chancel, which has a broad two-bay roof of 1900. The chancel walls display exposed rubble stone; a segmental-pointed recess occupies the left of the east window, and a crude piscina appears on the south wall.

The entrance to the chapel on the chancel's north side features a fine 18th-century classical arch with keystone, pilasters, panelled soffit and wrought iron gates. The chapel interior has a cornice, deep cove and reeded centre border, with a stone flag floor containing incised stones.

Fittings include an unusually small bowl font on a long stem, presumably 18th-century and whitewashed. Nineteenth-century pine pews and a pine pulpit are present. An organ by C.R. Gill of Cardiff Organ Works is installed. Eleven hatchments commemorate members of the Morgan family from 1767 to 1867. Cast iron Hanoverian royal arms hang over the chancel arch. Patterned glass fills the trefoil heads of windows, and a pair of painted benefaction boards of late 18th or early 19th-century date decorate the nave's north side.

Memorials in the north-east chapel include: on the west wall, a very fine marble pedimented monument to Sir William Morgan (died 1731) and John Morgan (died 1719), featuring two cambered-headed plaques with a cherub head between, enclosed in a fine surround with carved festoons, panels, Corinthian columns and carved arms with supporters. To its right stands an infilled fireplace with reeded surround and the inscription "Virtus Vincit", adjacent to a grey-painted Gothic memorial to Charles Morgan (died 1787) and John Morgan (died 1792), featuring a sarcophagus with mourning cherub, draped urn and two shields. The north wall bears an early 19th-century marble plaque to Frances Morgan (died 1767) by Gaffin; a marble plaque to Reverend C.A.S. Morgan of Machen House (died 1875); and a 19th-century marble scroll to Frances Morgan with a poem by Reverend C.A.S. Morgan, also by Gaffin. A blocked door to the centre exists on this wall. The east wall displays a 19th-century Gothic window, a neo-Baroque cartouche to the Honourable F.C. Morgan (died 1909), and a very fine oval plaque to John Morgan (died 1715), featuring a semi-circular cornice in its centre, set on fluted pilasters with palm fronds, three veiled cherub heads beneath the cornice and carved arms. This monument was executed by Edward Stanton of London (1681-1734), who was paid for it in 1717. The south wall contains a pointed oval plaque to Charlotte Morgan (died 1891) with carved lilies and cherubs.

Within the body of the church are a marble plaque to Reverend H. Williams (died 1866) and a painted plaque in the chancel arch to Mary Edmunds (died 1785) and Margaret Edmunds (died 1806) with a raised oval.