History

The earliest dateable features, the chancel arch and E window, date to c1400, but the fabric may be earlier. The church was restored by Henry Kennedy in 1865, when the N porch and vestry were added and new windows installed.

Exterior

Simple rural church comprising nave and chancel, the nave has a steep W bellcote; C19 gabled porch with steeply-pitched low-swept roof and simple chamfered outer archway, and mullioned light in the E wall. One and two light windows to the N, 2 x 2-light windows to S, all C19 interpretations of the Perpendicular, with flat heads.

The chancel roof continues over lean-to vestry to NE: this has a prominent chimney with offsets and moulded cap. Two-light windows to N and S, similar to those of the nave. The E window is of c1400 date; 2 cinquefoil headed lights with a quatrefoil in a pointed arched frame under moulded label with scroll terminals.

Interior

The nave has a repaired N doorway of early Perpendicular character, probably early C15, a pointed arch with chamfered jambs. The 4-bay roof retains late Medieval chamfered collared trusses (repaired), on wall posts down to plain corbels. The chancel has a similar roof of 9 closely spaced trusses.

The chancel arch is of c1400 with chamfered responds and pointed arch of 2 hollow-chamfered orders which spring from the faces of the responds. There is an inscribed stone, c550, set in S wall of the chancel, the inscription in Roman capitals reads: HIC IACIT / MACCVDECCETI (D reversed).

The font is an octagonal gritstone bowl with chamfered base and top; probably a reshaped bowl and there is a simple gritstone water stoup set into the N wall of the nave.

The internal arrangement otherwise owes its character to Kennedy's restoration, including shallow step to chancel and a further defining the sanctuary; this distinguished by encaustic floor tiles and given simple communion rail with twisted stanchions to floriate brackets. The pulpit and simple benches are also contemporary.

To the L of the E window is a marble memorial to Florance George Henry Irby d1877, and to the R is a slate memorial to Griffith Edwards of Bodafon Lys d1795, and his wife Elizabeth d1802. On the S wall of the nave is an unusually styled black marble memorial to Margaret, wife of Morris Pritchard Morris d1732.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a medieval church retaining early fabric; well-restored by Henry Kennedy, keeping its simple rural character.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• St Michael's Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17742484

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)