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Monument Types

• CHURCH (12TH CENTURY AD to 21ST CENTURY AD - 1101 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Events

• Building Recording in 1999, St Michael's Church, Abberley (Ref: WSM29091)
• Stratified Finds in 1964, Silver Spoons, St Michael's, Abberley (Ref: WSM07106)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Full description

In village centre. Only chancel is roofed but the lower courses of the nave and W tower walls have also been kept and the S doorway. The doorway is Norman, with tympanum, bottom of which is segmental. Doorway placed in projection of wall. Rest too badly weathered for recognition. East respond of south arcade indicates 13th century aisle. Present entry to chancel is Norman and was once a doorway into nave on nort side. In chancel, Norman north window. Chancel east end clearly a 13th century lengthening. [1]

Described in Brooks & Pevsner.[11]

Former parish church and chancel still used for services, nave unroofed and in ruins. 12th century, altered and extended 13th century, altered 14th century and 15th century; chancel and south chapel repaired 1908. Coursed rubble, the chancel and south chapel have a plain tiled roof, brick repairs to upper part of chancel. Consists of west tower, nave and south aisle, chancel and south chapel. The nave, tower (both 12th century) and south aisle (about 1260) walls are approximately 4 feet high and are capped with a thick layer of concrete; stumps of 14th century buttresses and 19th century flying buttresses outside north wall. Reset in the south aisle wall is the 12th century south doorway, now badly eroded due to poor pointing: semi-circular arch of 2 moulded orders, plain tympanum with segmental intrados and chevron border and 2 engaged shafts in the jambs. Inside the south door is a trefoil headed piscina. The 12th century north door is now inset within the blocking of the chancel arch: also badly eroded with a single order of colonnettes, eroded captials and zig-zag enriched arch. Fragments of east respond of late 13th century south arcade. Chancel of 2 bays, 12th century, extended to east in early 13th century. North wall has one narrow 12th century round-headed window with a deep embrasure and stepped cill, and a twin, early 13th century lancet window with stepped cills and internal hoodmoulds with carved head stops. Three-light east window with late 13th century inner jambs, early 19th century wood frame (restored 1970). West single light south window in brick surround and with leaded Gothick glazing (probably originally as north-east window). South chapel of c1260 with Y-tracery south window (restored) and round-headed. West window; 19th century panelled door in round-headed surround. Interior: restored chancel roof of 5 bays with arch-braced collar beams, ashlar posts and cusped wind-bracing, late 14th century according to VCH but probably incorporates late 15th century or 16th century parts. Plain aumbries in north and south walls. Low 13th century archway to south chapel, of 2 chamfered orders, the east respond has a dog tooth impost moulding and a small engaged shaft; fragments of clerestorey windows above. Monuments Inscribed baroque tablet of Chapman, 1690. Inscribed marble plaque to John Basier of 1683. Walsh monument, Elizabeth died 1645 and Ann, died 1679, marble inscribed plaque frame by 3 Ionic columns supported on brackets, and surmounted by segmental pediment with arms. Other plain late 18th century - early 19th century tablets in south chapel.[2][3][9]

Various 18th and 19th century descriptions and a sketch of 1813. [4]

Substantial survival of 11th and 12th century church fabric. [5]

The Domesday Survey for Worcestershire notes the presence of a priest at Abberley. [6]

The benefice of Abberley is mentioned in the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas IV dated 1291. It consisted of the church at Abberley valued at £4 6s 8d. A portion of 13s 4d was paid to the Prior of Conches Abbey and 13s 4d was also paid to the Rector of Rock. No patron was noted and neither is there a note of it being appropriated. [7]

The benefice is noted in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 where it is recoded as a Rectory and valued at £11 10s 2d. [8]

Small booklet on history the church. [10]

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 9th April 2019 licensed under the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ [12]

(SO 75346785) St Michael's Church (NAT) [OS 6" 1954] St Michael's Church is mainly 12th century with an early 14th century arcade of three arches. It is ruinous apart from the chancel which is roofed and used for worship and has 12th and 14thc windows. [DOE (HHR) Worcs Martley RD Feb 1955 1] (SO 75346785) The church is as described by Auth 2 and the east portion is in normal use. Published Survey 25" revised. See GP. [Field Investigators Comments: F1 MHB 27-OCT-70] Five identical 14th century spoons were found in 1946 concealed in theN wall of the church. Originals in British Museum with copies in Worcester County Museum. [Worcs County Museum Index 1971] [12]

The National Record of the Historic Environment entry for this record also referenced the following object/archive: OP25577 A view from the south-west of St Michael's Church, showing it covered in ivy. [12]

SO 76 NE ABBERLEY CP ABBERLEY 3/9 Church of St Michael 29.7.59 GV II* Former parish church and chancel still used for services, nave unroofed and in ruins. C12, altered and extended C13, altered C14 and C15; chancel and south chapel repaired 1908. Coursed rubble, the chancel and south chapel have a plain tiled roof, brick repairs to upper part of chancel. Consists of west tower, nave and south aisle, chancel and south chapel. The nave, tower (both C12) and south aisle (c1260) walls are approximately 4 feet high and are capped with a thick layer of concrete; stumps of C14 buttresses and C19 flying buttresses outside north wall. Reset in the south aislewall is the C12 south doorway, now badly eroded due to poor pointing: semi-circular arch of 2 moulded orders, plain tympanum with segmental intrados and chevron border and 2 engaged shafts in the jambs. Inside the south door is a trefoil headed piscina. The C12 north door is now inset within the blocking of the chancel arch: also badly eroded with a single order of colonnettes, eroded capitals and zig-zag enriched arch. Fragments of east respond of late C13 south arcade. Chancel of 2 bays, C12, extended to east in early C13. North wall has one narrow C12 round-headed window with a deep embrasure and stepped cill, and a twin, early C13 lancet window with stepped cills and internal hoodmoulds with carved head stops. Three-light east window with late C13 inner jambs, early C19 wood frame (restored 1970). West single light south window in brick surround and with leaded Gothick glazing (probably originally as north-east window). South chapel of c1260 with Y-tracery south window (restored) and round-headed west window; C19 panelled door in round-headed surround. Interior: restored chancel roof of 5 bays with arch-braced collar beams, ashlar posts and cusped wind-bracing, late C14 according to VCH but probably incorporates late C15 or C16 parts. Plain aumbries in north and south walls. Low C13 archway to south chapel, of 2 chamfered orders, the east respond has a dog tooth impost moulding and a small engaged shaft; fragments of clerestory windows above. Monuments Inscribed baroque tablet of Chapman, 1690. Inscribed marble plaque to John Basier of 1683. Walsh monument, Elizabeth died 1645 and Ann, died 1679, marble inscribed plaque frame by 3 Ionic columns supported on brackets, and surmounted by segmental pediment with arms. Other plain late C18 - early C19 tablets in south chapel (BoE, 1968; VCH, Vol IV, 1979). [DOE(HHR)Dist of Malvern HILLS, Here & Worcs, Nov 1984, 7.] [12]

Silurian stone used in boundary wall. [13]

Sources and further reading

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