Description

LICHFIELD

SK1209NW CHURCH STREET
1094-1/6/66 (South side)
05/02/52 Church of St Michael

II*

Church. Mainly C13 in origin with C14 tower, but mostly dating
from restoration of 1842-3 by Thomas Johnson, chancel
restored, 1890-1, by JO Scott. Ashlar with tile roofs, some of
fishscale tiles.
3-bay chancel with south organ loft and vestry; 4-bay nave
with clerestory and gabled aisles, west tower and spire.
Plinth, sill courses and coped gables.
Chancel has 1890 five-light east window with Perpendicular
tracery, blind trefoil over and gable cross, 1842 north and
south lancets with splayed reveals between tall gabled
buttresses; gabled organ loft projects from south aisle,
diagonal buttress and window of 3 cusped lights with lancet
over, stair turret to angle with aisle, 2-light east window
with flowing tracery over low vestry with parapet and small
double-chamfered-mullioned windows and window of 2 cusped
lights from organ loft.
Clerestory has 2-light windows; north aisle has 3-light
windows with Perpendicular tracery between offset buttresses,
end diagonal buttresses and 3-light east and west windows;
2-storey porch has embattled parapet, entrance with moulded
arch and Perpendicular style niche above with statue of St
Michael, relief monograms and armorial bearings to north and
east and date 1843; south aisle has east bell turret and
stack, 3-light windows with flowing tracery between offset
buttresses, west angle buttress and 2-light window.
Tower has diagonal buttresses, some tile inserts, 2 tiers of
cusped lancets and 2-light louvred bell-openings, embattled
parapet and needle spire with string courses, 2 tiers of
lucarnes and wind vane, north and south upper lancets only,
south entrance with shouldered lintel.
INTERIOR: chancel has waggon-boarded roof with arch with
traceried spandrels on wall shafts to sanctuary; marble floor
with open lozenge pattern; south arch to organ loft, 1890s
sedilia in window recess and credence shelf in recess with
cinquefoil arch, north arched tomb recess with C14 effigy of
civilian with lively dog to feet, probably William de Walton,
found 1846; chancel arch of one order; nave has 4-bay
Perpendicular style arcades and hammer-beam roof with
arch-braced collars and cusped wind braces; tower entrance
with 4-centred head and lancet over; south aisle has arch to
organ loft and splayed angle entrance.
Fittings: chancel has timber reredos with 4 statues of
archangels, brass rail on wrought iron grilles, stalls with
tracery panels and figures in niches, similar pulpit, good
organ case; nave has font with initials and date: WG/ 1669,
octagonal with roll-moulded angles and stylised Tudor roses
and fleurs-de-lis; painted Royal arms of 1711 over chancel
arch. Memorials: many good C18 wall tablets, 2 floor slabs to
nave including that to Samuel Johnson's parents and brother of
1784 (re-cut). Stained glass: several C19 windows, good east
window of 1893-7.
The church is on one of the oldest sites in Lichfield,
recorded as being one of England's 5 ancient Christian burial
grounds.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Staffordshire: London:
1974-: P.190; The Lichfield Guides: Nicholls G: Johnson's
Lichfield: Lichfield: 1981-; Victoria History of the County of
Stafford: Greenslade M W: Lichfield: Oxford: 1990-: P.147-51).

Listing NGR: SK1238109510

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield at Wikipedia
• St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield official website
• Wikidata Q7594876

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)