Description

STOKENHAM STOKENHAM
SX8042 Church of St. Michael
14/210
26.1.67
GV I

Parish church. 1431 rebuilding of a C14 church restored in 1874 and 1890.
Dressed slate rubble; C19 limestone windows but C15 granite windows in
tower. Slate roofs with stone and concrete coping to gable ends.
Plan and Development: Nave, chancel, 6-bay north and north aisles, north
and south transepts, west tower, south porch and vestry on north side of
chancel. The first rector in 1309-10. The dedication of 1431 must have
been a rededication when the church was virtually rebuilt. The nave was
entirely reconstructed when the north and south aisles were added. The
north and south transepts indicate it was a uniform plan but it is not
certain whether they too were rebuilt. The chancel was not completely
rebuilt since there is some C14 work but the C15 west tower replaces an
earlier tower of which only the tower arch survives. The south porch is
probably a C17 addition. The vestry on the north side of the chancel was
probably added in circa early C19 when the church was refenstrated since
Davidson in 1842 mentions that the church was "modernised with incongruous
wooded mullious" - possibly like the vestry windows. The church was
restored in 1874 at a cost of £1,200 (or £1,800) and all the windows were
replaced except for the tower windows. In 1890 the chancel was restored at
a cost of £300.
Exterior: Chamfered plinth around the church. C19 4-light perpendicular 2-
centred arch south windows (and 3-light perpendicular east and west windows
of south aisle) with buttresses between. The south transept has C19 3-light
3-centred arch perpendicular window with slate sundial below dated 1811 and
polygonal rood stair turret in the right hand angle with very small round-
headed lancets and embattled parapet. Gabled south porch has dressed slate
segmented arch, the inner doorway has double roll-moulded 4-centre arch and
C19 plank door with strap hinges. North side similar but without porch.
The chancel has large C19 perpendicular east window, C19 perpendicular 2-
light south window and priest's doorway on south side with dressed slate 2-
centred (almost round) arch and C20 door. Parallel on north side slate 2-
circa early C19 vestry with slate coped gable ends, east end stack and 2 C19
windows with wooden mullions and curved braces.
Tall 3-stage west tower with set back buttresses with set-offs, granite 2-
light bell openings with 4-centred heads, hoodmoulds and slate louvres,
embattled parapet without pinnacles and polygonal stair turret at centre of
south side with embattled parapet above tower parapet; 4-centred arch
external doorway at base of stair tower; C15 perpendicular 3-light west
windows with mould above round arch double-chamfered dressed slate west
doorway (now a window).
Interior: Beerstone arcades and rear arches and exposed stone rubble walls
late C19 quarry tile floor. Unceiled waggon roofs with moulded ribs and
bosses appear to be late C19 except for the south aisle roof which is
largely C15 and the chancel which is ceiled between the ribs and might also
be C15.
6-bay north and south arcades in Beerstone with B-type piers (wave moulding
between the shafts) moulded bases, carved foliage capitals and moulded 4-
centred (almost round) arches. Tall unmoulded 2-centred tower arch with
chamfered imposts. Fine C14 double piscina on south side of chancel with
cusped agee arches with crockets head stops and bases with covered heads
and foliage. C13 style reredos with blind 4-bay arcade. The chancel is

Listing NGR: SX8083842831

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526889

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]