Details
SO 61 NE MITCHELDEAN HIGH STREET
(west side)
6/158 Church of St. Michael and All Angels
(formerly listed as Church of
St. Michael)
23.9.55
GV I
Large parish church; C14, 15, 18, 19; coursed squared stone with
ashlar dressings to tower, top stage and spire ashlar; south aisle
squared rubble with ashlar dressings; chancel squared stone
approaching ashlar. north aisle large, squared stone in end bays,
rubble with ashlar dressings in centre. Slate roofs, lead flat to
south aisle. West tower, 4-bay nave, 2 north, 1 south aisles,
chancel, vestry and south porch. South facade: tower on left, 4
stages with moulded strings to lower 2; lancet to each upper
stage, glazed to second, third and fourth with stone louvres;
string to third stage on corbels. Plain parapet and gargoyles.
semi-octagonal stair projection on left return. Slender octagonal
spire, roll moulding on arrises, 2 small doors east face, lower
with hood; terminates in floriate capital with gilded copper
weathercock above. Gabled porch against tower, wide, diagonally-
boarded double doors under 2-central arch with hoodmould; circular
window above with carved head over. Copings to gable; crested
ridge tiles. 2-light side windows with trefoil heads, solid panel
above. South aisle 3 windows, 3-light, C19 Perpendicular tracery
under hoodmoulds, buttress between first 2, semi-octagon stair
turret between second 2, with small, panelled priest's door to
right. Diagonally-set buttress at right-hand end. Plain
parapet, lead flat roof. Above two 3-light Perpendicular
clerestory windows to shorter nave. Chancel moulded plinth and 2
string courses low down: 2-light south window with Geometric
tracery, rendered east gable to nave above chancel roof, which has
copings to east gable, floriate cross to apex. North wall of
north aisle diagonal darner buttresses with swept offsets, square-
set intermediate with slight offsets: moulded plinth to end bays
only; first, third and fourth windows 4-light, king mullion, super
transom, trefoil heads to lower lights, quatrefoils above, with 4-
centred arches (fourth window C19 renewal). Second window similar
6-light. Third bay wall set back under arch. Moulded string
course at eaves level, plain gargoyles, high parapet with widely-
spaced embrasures. Behind low-pitch roof covering 2 aisles as
one.
Internally, entry to tower base, arches to nave and south aisle.
Nave arcade extends into ritual chancel with no structural
division: square columns with back-to-back ogee moulding run up
arrises. Ceiling plastered barrel vault, panelled with moulded
timber ribs, with carved square bosses at intersections. Late C15
doom on boards at east end over carved C19 timber arch. Chancel
ceiling pointed boarded barrel vault, panelled with applied
tracery. South aisle crypt with pointed barrel vault under east
end: aisle ceiling flat boarded. North aisles have moulded
cambered tie beams, supported by moulded wall-posts and braces:
ceillings panelled with moulded purlin and ridge, etc., with carved
bosses at intersections: crenellated timber cornice. Cusped wind
braces in porch. In south aisle piscina with flying ogee below
steep triangular head: C15 octagonal wooden pulpit with blind
tracery to sides, with C19 stem. At east end Decalogue on 2 stone
plaques with pointed heads: corresponding Creed and Lord's Prayer
at west end of nave. Circular stone font C12 in style, remade in
C19, but centre section may be original. White marble reredos
with life-size figures in chancel, 1911 by W. G. Storr-Barber. A
little Medieval glass in north aisle windows; south-east window of
south aisle by Kempe, 1887. 2 Medieval brasses, various C18 early
C19 wall tablets. Spire rebuilt about 1760 by Nathaniel Wilkinson
of Worcester; church restored and chancel rebuilt 1853 by Henry
Woodyer. (D. Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale and Forest of Dean,
1970).
Listing NGR: SO6636618599
