Details
TM 13 SW BRANTHAM CHURCH LANE
7/37
22.2.55 Church of St Michael &
All Angels
GV II*
Parish Church. Medieval with extensive rebuilding and restorations circa 1800
and circa 1869. C14 nave, C19 chancel, north aisle, north porch and lean to
south vestry. The west tower, of C14/C15 origin much restored C19. Flint
rubble, seataria, ashlar and stone pressings. Red plain tiled roots, stone
parapet verges. Chancel:- Moulded plinth and band below windows. Angle
buttresses. East window of 5 cinquefoiled ogee lights, tracery over, moulded
2-centred head, moulded label with angel head stops. North and south wall
windows similar, of 2 trefoiled lights, tracery over, 2-centred arch, label with
foliate stops, one to the south wall and 2 to the north wall. There is a small
C20, angled vestry with a hipped roof extending to the chancel eaves, attached to
the west of the south wall. It has a 2-centred arch doorway facing east and 2
small windows with 2-centred heads facing south. Nave:- South wall, buttressed
at angles and between western and central windows. Central and western windows,
2 trefoiled ogee lights, quatrefoils over, 2-centred heads and labels. The
eastern window of 3 trefoiled ogee lights, tracery over, 2-centred head and
label. There is a lean-to vestry to the west of the windows, plastered, with 3
gargoyles below eaves. C20 4 light window to south wall, C20 plank and muntin
door to west wall. West Tower: Of 4 stages. Angle buttresses. C19 parapet
with wheel pattern flint and stone flushwork moulded stone coping, moulded bands
below parapet and all windows, moulded plinth. Gargoyles to parapet band which
is enriched with ball flowers. Each face of the bell chamber has a louvred
window of 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights, tracery over, moulded 2-centred head and
stopped label. Third and second stages of west face each with chamfered
2-centred arch window. First stage west window of 2 cinquefoiled lights tracery
over, chamfered 2-centred arch and stopped label. St Michael weathervane from
the dismantled church of St Michael, Manningtree. Sunk chamfered angles enriched
with ball flowers to bell chamber. North aisle:- Buttressed at angles and
between windows. Moulded plinth. There are three windows, each of 2 trefoiled
lights, tracery over, chamfered 2-centred heads and labels with foliate stops.
The gabled porch is to west of these windows. Stone parapet verge, moulded
plinth, buttressed in-line with north face. Sunk chamfered and moulded 4-centred
outer archway, attached shafts with moulded capitals, broached bases. Label with
head stops. Side wall windows each of 3 cinquefoiled lights, tracery over,
square heads and labels. Porch interior:- The roof has ashlar posts and collars
to each rafter pair. Stone mouldings to windows. North doorway, chamfered and
moulded 2-centred arch, vertically boarded door. Church interior:- Chancel:-
Roof of 4 bays, moulded wall plates, moulded arched braces to collars, king posts
over C19 coloured tiled floor. C19 stained glass to windows. South wall C19 low
cill window used as a sedilia. Set into the eastern jamb is a cinquefoiled
2-centred arch piscina. C19 wooden altar rails. C19 poppyheads to choir stalls
and carved emblems of the 4 evangelists. The painting of "Christ & the Children"
by John Constable, circa 1804, formerly on the south wall, has been removed to
Christchurch Mansion Museum, Ipswich, for safe keeping. 2-centred arch doorway
to south vestry with segmental arch over. C19 chancel arch, moulded 2-centred
arch supported each side by 3 shafts with moulded capitals and bases, carved
angel and St Michael corbels. Nave, original 4 bay crown post roof, 4-armed
crown posts, moulded capitals and bases, moulded tie beams, moulded wall plates.
C19 wooded octagon pulpit carved with depiction of the Glastonbury Thorn.
Medieval stained glass panel to eastern window of south wall, said to depict St
Edmund and a bishop. This window with low cill sedilia and piscina set-in the
eastern jamb. Round headed doorway o south vestry, organ pipes over. North
arcade of 4 bays, 2-centred arches of 2 chamfered orders, circular columns with 4
fillets, moulded capitals, square bases. South aisle, lean-to roof of 4 bays,
wall posts supported by square, moulded corbels. There is a piscina adjacent t
the eastern respond of the south arcade, trefoiled head, blocked drain. Floor
slab near north doorway with indents of shields of arms and a cross. Floor slab
by south doorway, dates 1750-1760 visible, names now covered by organ. Wall
memorial, Rev H R Cole M A Rector 1892-1934. Coat of arms of George III over
west tower porch. Octagonal font, carved rim and soffit, quatrefoils within
roundels to panels, 2-light tracery under 2-centred arches to stem, moulded
base. N.B. This font is not as described by N Pevsner Suffolk 1962.west Tower:
Tower arch, chamfered 2-centred arch, angled jambs, moulded basdes. C19 moulded
2-centred arched doorway to stair turret. C19 stained glass to west window. Said
to be one bell:- 'Miles Graye Made Me, 1651'. J W Gooch, Peoples Warden
Historical Notes on Brantham Church. Undated but C20.
Listing NGR: TM1121634195
