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Summary

Grade II* listed 13th century church, with 15th and 17th century alterations; extensively restored in 1896

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1290597: CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL
• Conservation Area: Inkpen

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01894.03.000
  
• Church Heritage Record: 9662
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 36 SE 12
  SU 35766 63776
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (C): Map No 32 17/11 Church of St Michael
  The church has almost entirely rebuilt and redecorated in the C.19 and C20. There remain two pyramidal wall monuments on the West wall, one to Mrs Audry Brickenden, the other to Elizabeth Brickenden and her husband John Fisher 1742. The font is probably C.13.

Monument Type(s):

• PARISH CHURCH (13th century to Late 19th century - 1201 AD to 1896 AD)
• WAR MEMORIAL (TRIBUTE) (Early 20th century to Mid 20th century - 1919 AD? to 1946 AD?)

Full Description

Listing description: Church. C13 foundation, extensively restored and rebuilt 1896-7 by C.C. Rolfe in Early English style. Flint walls with stone dressings, tile hung and lead roofed belfry and tiled main roof. Nave, Chancel, North aisle and South porch, steeply pitched roof with gable parapets and short square belfry over West end. South Elevation: 2-light window to left, gabled south porch, 5-light square headed window under label mould, 2-light window under 2-centred arched label mould. East end has three simple lancets. Interior: 6 bays, roof double purlins on trusses with arch braces to ties and queen struts above, simple arcade of 3 wide arches to North Aisle. Carved timber rood screen with rood and figures of Mary and John, by Harry Hems of Exeter. In the chancel lies a weathered stone effigy of a crusader knight, under the belfry are two re-set C18 memorials, to the left in white and grey marble a casket surmounted by an urn to Mrs. Audrey Brickerden and Mrs. Catherine Fisher, 1727 and 1728 and to the right in brown, grey and white marble a pedimented casket on a base flanked by flaming urns to John Fisher of Bristol 1765. <1> An effigy of Roger de Ingpen is attributed to 1220-50 <16>.

The restoration of the church started in 1896 and it was reopened in 1897 <29>; a portion of the churchyard was also added on the north side <15>.

There is a marble plaque inside the church to men who died in the First World War from 1914-18, and names were added to this war memorial after the Second World War <19>.

West Berkshire Museum has a set of photographs showing the church around 1920 <20>.

The Church is marked on Rocque's map of 1761 <24>, Willis's map of 1768 <25>, the Hungerford Ordnance Survey Drawing of 1817 <26>, the Inkpen Tithe map of 1842 <23> and the First Edition OS map of 1879-80 <28> onwards.

A planning application for an extension was approved in 1990 <30>. An evaluation was carried out within the churchyard revealing evidence of at least ten grave cuts <3><4>.

A second cemetery associated with St Michael's Church was created to the east, near the Old School and Graftons, in the early or mid-20th century <31><32>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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