Parish Church of St Michael

Details

SO 86 SE SALWARPE CP SALWARPE

4/224 Parish Church of St Michael

14.3.69 GV II*

Parish church. Early C12 origins, aisles added mid- and late C14, tower rebuilt C15, further alterations and additions c1848. Sandstone ashlar, plain tiled roofs, and parapets at gable ends with cross finials. West tower, nave of three plus one bays with north and south aisles beneath lean-to roofs and south porch, two-bay chancel with north vestry. Mainly Decorated style with Perpendicular tower. West tower: C15; this replaces an earlier tower built before the aisles and having north and south walls forming bays similar to arcades; evidence of flying buttresses can be found in both aisle walls indicating that the eastern arch of this tower was spreading during the late C14; new tower built to west of former tower and not in line or connected with it; the older tower was then removed and the new one connected with the west ends of the aisle walls and finally the north and south arches of the old tower were replaced by a continuation of the nave arcade built outside them; roughly two stages with chamfered plinth continued around rest of church; string above plinth and above and below belfry stage; angled corner buttresses with offsets; west elevation has a 4-light window, hoodmould with returns that continue as a string to the buttresses; rectangualr light above and in north and south elevations; belfry stage has 2-light louvred bell-chamber openings and above the upper- most string is an embattled parapet; staircase at south-west corner is expressed externally in the west elevation by three loopholes. Nave: three bays plus additional west end bay dating from rebuilding of tower; north aisle added c1350, and south aisle c1370. North elevation: gabled buttresses with offsets at bay divisions and ends; two 2-light windows in easternmost bays, large pointed arched light in westernmost bay and in third bay from east is a blocked doorway opposing the south entrance; 2-light window in west end elevation. South elevation: three 2-light windows; 2-light window in west and east end elevations. South porch: c1848; gabled, end parapet with cross finial, angled corner buttresses with offsets; pointed arched doorway with mid-C20 door; paired cusped lancets in side elevations. South entrance has a pointed arched doorway with hoodmould. Chancel: restored 1848; apparently retaining earlier masonry; two bays; angled corner buttresses and buttresses at bay divisions each side, both with offsets; all windows have hoodmoulds and label stops carved in the form of human heads; 4-light east window; south elevation has two windows and north elevation has a window in the westernmost bay. Vestry: adjoins easternmost bay of north elevation; separate gabled roof; north elevation has a pair of cusped lancets and to the right a narrow pointed arched doorway with hoodmould and returns; at east end is a 2-light window and above, at the junction of chancel and vestry roofs, is a stone chimney stack. Interior: four-bay nave arcade, pointed arches of two square orders; upper two piers are circular with plain bell capitals and moulded bases and lower piers date from the tower alterations, the south pier is square and the north side one a broad rectangular shape; tower arch is C15 and the jambs are decorated with paired cusped pointed arched panels; the chancel arch is C19 and is supported on a cluster of three colonnettes with moulded capitals and bases; in the lower part of the north and south walls are, respectively, four and three recesses with 4-centred arched heads; above the second recess from the west in the north wall, the masonry has been cut away, probably to contain an early stone rood; there is a similar recess in the north-east wall of the chancel with a late C14 effigy of a priest in mass vestments holding a chalice. Roofs are all C19. Chancel has reredos relief of the Last Supper and, sedilia with two round-headed arches, possibly of C16 date; small cusped pointed-arched recess, probably a piscina, at eastern end of north aisle; also piscina in cusped pointed-arched recess at south-east end of the south aisle; C19 font with square base and octagonal basin; east end of both aisles has C19 parclose screens, re-using pieces of C15 woodwork; C19 pulpit, miserichords in chancel and pews. C15 tiles at west end of north aisle; also good C19 floor tiles. Two parish chests, one dated 1697, one earlier and larger with three locks situated beneath tower. Memorials: in south of chancel, above sedilia, wall monument to Thomas Talbot, died 1613, with two kneelers facing each other across a prayer-desk set in a round-arched niche; three kneeling children are carved beneath and the niche is flanked by Corinthian columns, above which are putti, and at the top centre is a coat of arms. At east end of south aisle is a black and white marble altar tomb to Elizabeth Talbot, died 1687, with two female figures carved upon the front and between them an inscription; above on the wall to the left is a wall memorial to Olive Talbot, died 1681, with spiral columns, segmental pediment containing a coat of arms and festoons; on the south wall is an early C19 satcophagus-shaped memorial to Philip Gresley, died 1825. In the north aisle, at the east end, are two mid-C19 memorials. Glass: east window apparently by Hardman. A medieval church with a relatively complex building history and retaining some unusual features. (VCH III (i); BoE).

Listing NGR: SO8746262072

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

148120

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Worcester, (1913)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, (1968)

End of official list entry

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