St Michael's Church of the Open University

ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, GROVEWAY

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Explore this list entry

Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1160855
Date first listed:
17-Nov-1966
List Entry Name:
St Michael's Church of the Open University
Statutory Address:
ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, GROVEWAY

Have you got a photo to share?

Join the Missing Pieces Project. We want you to share your photos and memories.

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places. 

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

Icon Buildings
Icon Scheduled monuments
Icon Parks and gardens
Icon Battlefields
Icon Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
1999-09-21
Reference:
IOE01/01072/04
Rights:
© Dr W A Cooper. Source: Historic England Archive

Local Heritage Hub

Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.

Discover more

Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1160855
Date first listed:
17-Nov-1966
List Entry Name:
St Michael's Church of the Open University
Statutory Address 1:
ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, GROVEWAY

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, GROVEWAY

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Milton Keynes (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Walton
National Grid Reference:
SP 88485 36885

Details

SP 83 NE WALTON GROVEWAY north side

4/120 St. Michael's Church of The Open University.

17.11.66

II*

Former parish church, now the University church and recital room. Mainly C14, with slightly later S. porch, early C16 nave roof. Restored 1861. Rubble limestone with some greensand stone. The tower has two stages with greensand-stone quoins, diagonal buttresses and battlemented parapet. The nave parapet is over a string with corbel heads and nave and chancel are buttressed between bays. All windows have good and varied curvilinear tracery. In the chancel are restored sedilia and a priest's door on the S. wall. The nave has 4 bays, a piscina at the E. end of the S. wall and a tall plain tower arch. To the north of the chancel arch is a staircase to the rood-loft. The C14 octagonal font has been restored. Hatchments hang in the nave. Monuments: On N. wall of chancel a wall monument to Bartholomew Beale, d.1660, and Katherine Beale, d. 1667. An inscription panel with two niches over divided by a plain pilaster. Each niche has a scroll head and base and an engaged bust he to LH, and she to RH. This part is flanked by black Corinthian columns with white caps and bases supporting entablature with black marble frieze, broken segmental pediment and central cartouche of arms. Below the inscription panel is a moulding carried forward under columns which are supported on carved scroll brackets with angels' heads. This monument was erected by their sons, Charles and Henry in 1672. Charles was the husband of Mary Beale, the painter, who died in 1697 and was a pupil of Lely. Adjoining is a small incised brass with rhymed inscription to Elizabeth Pyxe, 1617. On the S. wall is a late C18- early C19 monument to members of the Pinfold family. On S. wall of nave. Sir Thomas Pinfold, Knt., L.L.D. Kings Advocate, Chancellor of Peterborough, etc., d.1701, by Nollekens. An inscription panel on flat brackets with central cartouche of arms between and a tall black pyramidal top with white portrait medallion and ribbons over a trophy of books and rolls. RCHM II p.307. MON.1.

Listing NGR: SP8848536885

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
45906
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Other
An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire Volume Two North, (1913)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of St Michael's Church of the Open University

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 17-Jun-2026 at 04:27:24.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Previous Overview
Next Comments and Photos