Monument Type(s):

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1066 AD)
• FONT (11th century - 1000 AD to 1099 AD)
• PARISH CHURCH (Built, 12th century - 1100 AD to 1199 AD)
• WAR MEMORIAL (20th century (inter-war) - 1919 AD to 1939 AD)

Summary

A parish church, rebuilt in 1849-50, which is protected by Grade II Listing.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA8727 - 2018 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8621 - 2015 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8361 - 2016 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8362 - 2017 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA9067 - 2019 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England

Description

Parish church. 1849-50, by J. P. Harrison, incorporating material from former C12 church. Uncoursed red sandstone rubble with grey sandstone ashlar dressings; C19 machine tile roof with ridge cresting. Nave and chancel in one (chancel roof slightly lower) with south porch. C19 buttresses with chamfered offsets, parapeted gable end to east with stone coping and cross at apex; timber framed square bellcote to west with copper-sheathed lower parts, cusped lattice openings, and tented pyramidal copper cap with weathervane.
South side: central nave window of 2 trefoil-headed lights with quatrefoil in tracery and small chancel window to right of 2 trefoiled round-arched lights; chamfered-arched south doorway to left has boarded door with decorative strap hinges and gabled porch with chamfered archway, moulded plinth, and benches and cobbled floor within. Priest's doorway to right has chamfered reveals, probably C12 lumpy tympanum and boarded door with strap hinges. Two fragments of C12 carved masonry in south wall of chancel.
North side: pair of nave windows, each with 2 trefoil-headed lights and small re-set C12 round-arched chancel window to left; north doorway to right with chamfered reveals and probably C12 lumpy tympanum. Two fragments of C12 carved masonry in north wall of chancel. East end: buttresses flanking large window with 3 cinquefoil-headed lights, foiled tracery, double-chamfered reveals and returned hoodmould. West end: window of 2 cinquefoil headed lights with foiled tracery and returned hoodmould. Interior: 51/2 bay roof incorporating old timbers, by William Hill (local joiner and carpenter): hammerbeams on stone corbels with arch-braced collars, pairs of purlins (single over 2-bay chancel) with cusped wind braces; chamfered cambered C19 rood beam with lattice screen consisting of diagonal struts above; chamfered rear arches.
Fittings: sanctuary panelled in 1952; altar rails c. 1850 by William Hill with saltire crosses; probably late C19 octagonal wooden pulpit with raised and fielded panels and stone base; c. 1850 pews incorporating some reused C17 panelling; reused C18 raised and fielded wainscot panelling in nave; possibly C12 oval stone font with plain wooden top; 2 painted benefactors boards; cast iron safe dated: "T. GLOVER/&/W. ROGERS/WARDENS/1813". Most of the church was rebuilt in 1849-50, except for part of the west wall, the side walls of the porch and a small part of the south wall. Smethcott is now a largely deserted settlement but the church stands in a prominent position at the end of a lane near to the remains of a motte and bailey. VCH, Vol. VIII, pp159-60; Buildings of England, p290; D. H. S. Cranage, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, part 6, p508 <2>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2009. <6>

Photographs taken on 12th August 2015. <7>

Shropshire Archives hold a watercolour of Church of St Michael and All Angels, Smethcott (Reference 6001/372/1/41), by Reverend Edward Williams, dated to 1787. A small-scale thumbnail can be found via their online catalogue: https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/CCA_X6001_19_372A_41 <8>

Set on a modern rectangular plinth at the west end of the nave is a Roman capital reused as a font in the 11th century, if not earlier. The font is trapezoidal in section with convex curved sides. <9>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.