| Summary: | Church of St Michael, Parish church. 1431 rebuilding of a 14C church restored in 1874 and 1890. Dressed slate rubble; 19C limestone windows but 15C granite windows in tower. Slate roofs with stone and concrete coping to gable ends. Plan and Development: Nave, chancel, 6-bay north and north aisles, north and south transepts, west tower, south porch and vestry on north side of chancel. The first rector in 1309-10. The dedication of 1431 must have been a rededication when the church was virtually rebuilt. The nave was entirely reconstructed when the north and south aisles were added. The north and south transepts indicate it was a uniform plan but it is not certain whether they too were rebuilt. The chancel was not completely rebuilt since there is some 14C work but the 15C west tower replaces an earlier tower of which only the tower arch survives. The south porch is probably a 17C addition. The vestry on the north side of the chancel was probably added in circa early 19C when the church was refenstrated since Davidson in 1842 mentions that the church was "modernised with incongruous wooded mullions" - possibly like the vestry windows. The church was restored in 1874 at a cost of £1,200 (or £1,800) and all the windows were replaced except for the tower windows. In 1890 the chancel was restored at a cost of £300. Exterior: Chamfered plinth around the church. 19C 4-light perpendicular 2-centred arch south windows (and 3-light perpendicular east and west windows of south aisle) with buttresses between. The south transept has 19C 3-light 3-centred arch perpendicular window with slate sundial below dated 1811 and polygonal rood stair turret in the right hand angle with very small round-headed lancets and embattled parapet. Gabled south porch has dressed slate segmented arch, the inner doorway has double roll-moulded 4-centre arch and 19C plank door with strap hinges. North side similar but without porch. The chancel has large 19C perpendicular east window, 19C perpendicular 2-light south window and priest's doorway on south side with dressed slate 2-centred (almost round) arch and 20C door. Parallel on north side slate 2- circa early 19C vestry with slate coped gable ends, east end stack and 2 19C windows with wooden mullions and curved braces. Tall 3-stage west tower with set back buttresses with set-offs, granite 2-light bell openings with 4-centred heads, hoodmoulds and slate louvres, embattled parapet without pinnacles and polygonal stair turret at centre of south side with embattled parapet above tower parapet; 4-centred arch external doorway at base of stair tower; 15C perpendicular 3-light west windows with mould above round arch double-chamfered dressed slate west doorway (now a window). Interior: Beerstone arcades and rear arches and exposed stone rubble walls late 19C quarry tile floor. Unceiled waggon roofs with moulded ribs and bosses appear to be late 19C except for the south aisle roof which is largely 15C and the chancel which is ceiled between the ribs and might also be 15C. 6-bay north and south arcades in Beerstone with B-type piers (wave moulding between the shafts) moulded bases, carved foliage capitals and moulded 4-centred (almost round) arches. Tall unmoulded 2-centred tower arch with chamfered imposts. Fine 14C double piscina on south side of chancel with cusped agee arches with crockets head stops and bases with covered heads and foliage. 13C style reredos with blind 4-bay arcade. |
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