Church of Saint Michael, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire

History

Anglican parish church, medieval, rebuilt 1831 by Thomas Rowlands of Haverfordwest, much altered in 1887 by EH Lingen Barker. Of the plain cruciform church with stunted crossing tower described by Fenton only the vaulted N chapel, now vestry, remains. During the 1830 works the tower and one side wall fell. The 1831 church had a battlemented nave, of which only part of the N wall followed the old N wall, and the tower was rebuilt. The nave had timber windows and a porch to left bay of S aisle. On S side of tower was another battlemented porch between battlemented buttresses. There was a W gallery, box pews and a three-decker pulpit just W of the tower. The work cost £2,644.
The 1887 rebuilding cost £2,130: a new double roof carried on an arcade in the middle of the broad nave, chancel arch in new N nave, windows, porches, and fittings. Carved work by Herridge of Cardiff. Organ 1888. Reredos 1932 by Ellery Anderson. Tower restorations in 1927 by J. Coates Carter and again in 1990s.

Exterior

Anglican parish church. Rubble stone, the N and W walls rendered, and roofs of silver-grey slates, with coped gables. Parallel roofed nave and S aisle, NE vestry and SE tower.
S wall has 1887 Bath stone windows in earlier openings: single light to left of porch, and another single light and two two-light windows to right, all with bicolour voussoirs. Broad plain low buttresses clasp SW angle. Porch of 1887 is gabled with coped gable, pointed entry and cinquefoil window on each side wall. 1887 inner door. At right end, by tower, is another similar but narrower 1887 porch, replacing a window.
Rendered twin-gabled W end with three buttresses and two 1887 windows each of two lights. Rendered N wall with NW buttress, five 2-light 1887 windows and arched low doorway to boiler room under second window from left, with eaves chimney above. Parallel to chancel is rendered medieval vestry to left: W wall has truncated chimney, set against low-pitched gable, N side has rendered buttress to left, E end has 1887 2-light window and pointed door, up steps. Rendered chancel E wall has big two-step buttresses and 1887 3-light window.
Tower E of S aisle has rendered stage under tall top stage of 1831 in squared grey limestone. Top stage has octagonal corner shafts, coved cornice carried around shafts and embattled parapet. The corner piers had pointed finials in the original design. Large 3-light pointed bell-lights with inserted Bath stone late Gothic tracery.
On S side is a roofless porch of 1831 with scar of pointed arch against base of tower within. Two massive grey stone buttress piers with plain square top (battlemented in original plans), plain rubble wall between with low parapet (battlemented in original plans) and Tudor-arched entry in raised surround. Within, marks of former lean-to roof and on S side of tower, raised plaster to pointed profile with raised plaster roundel. Blocked plain Tudor-arched door. On left is narrow door to former stair. E side of tower has buttresses and big window with C20 uPVC glazing.

Interior

Pointed S door with double baize doors. Plastered walls except at W, where stonework reveals blocked 1831 openings: pointed centre door and two outer gallery lights. Four-bay arcade of 1887 with Bath stone pointed arches with hoodmoulds, and carved stops, on three round columns with moulded caps and bases. Roofs have arch-braced scissor trusses on carved corbels. Six bays to S aisle, five to nave which has inserted wall with pointed chancel arch of 1887. Arch is double chamfered with hoodmould, the inner chamfer on corbelled shafts with ornate vine and wheat capitals. Two steps into chancel.
S aisle has organ at E end, and behind is big plain pointed arch into tower, now a vestry with high flat ceiling, outline of blocked Tudor-arched S door, and pointed N recess, probably a blocked door.
Chancel has 1887 boarded roof with transverse ribs. Big pointed S arch similar to chancel arch. 1887 pointed door to vestry.
Stone flagged aisles, early C19 stone paving with slate diamonds, at E end of nave. 1887 tiles in chancel. Pointed piscina close to altar.
N vestry has pointed medieval stone vault, N wall blocked door with segmental-arched head and blocked pointed door to S. Blocked 1887 door on right side of E wall. Bath stone piscina with gadrooned bowl in NE corner, possibly early C18. C19 fireplace on W wall.
Fittings: 1887: wrought-iron chancel screen; curved-fronted Bath stone pulpit on squat columns with black marble shafts; neo-Norman font, scalloped with rope-moulding on shaft, copied from Lamphey; rails on iron standards; chancel stalls and pine pews. Eagle lectern of c. 1882. Reredos of 1932 by W. Ellery Anderson, painted wood with carved figures. Organ 1888 by Wade & Meggitt of Tenby, plain pine Gothic case facing S aisle. Panelled altar and oak linenfold side panelling c. 1931. Panelling behind altar at E end of S aisle moved from by main altar.
Stained glass: E window 1887 by Cox, Sons, Buckley & Co, deep colours, Last Supper. Nave N second, by Kempe & Co to Leslie James died 1917; third SS George and Nicholas, in style of R.J. Newbery, to H. C. Ogleby RN killed 1918; and fourth, by Kempe & Co to 2nd Lt J M Bryant, killed 1917. S aisle third window, Annunciation by Kempe & Co to D. Jackson died 1922. S aisle W window, First World War memorial.
Memorials: a good set resited in N vestry. On S wall, Dr John Powell died 1734: mid C18 with fluted Corinthian pilasters, curved open pediment, cartouche above, scrolls to sides, and cherub head under gadrooned base. Long inscription in praise of his life as a Christian and physician. On N wall, Major David Mackenzie of Fortrose, died 1781, coloured marble, with urn; Col. Dudley Ackland died 1795, draped urn on pedestal, Adam-style. In chancel c. 1900 memorial to W. O. Hulne with Bath stone Virgin and child relief on marble. Nave N wall: Canon Charles Philips, died 1853, and wife died 1864, by J. King of Bath, tablet with palm frond. Brass plaque with engraved soldiers to Sergeant W. J. Rees, 1st Welsh Regiment, died in S. Africa, 1900. Brass plaque to Annie Hustler died 1906. Large brass later C19 tablet to Joshua Allen of Pembroke died 1804, his sixteen children and some grandchildren.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special interest as a town church with prominent early C19 tower and medieval N vestry.

External Links

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