Details
WHICHFORD CHURCH END
SP3134 (North side)
9/161 Church of St. Michael
13/10/66 (Formerly listed as Parish
Church of St. Michael)
- I
Church. C12 origins, with C13, C14 and C15 alterations and additons. C19
restorations. Coursed and squared coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings
and parapets. Stone-slate chancel and aisle roofs. Lead nave roof. Chancel, nave
with north aisle, and north-west tower, C12 chancel enlarged C13 and part
rebuilt C14. 2 bays, with quoins and coped parapet to east with cross at apex.
C14 east 6-window of 3 ogee-headed cusped lights with reticulated tracery, and
to north and south, two similar C14 windows, each of 2 lights. Hood moulds with
labels. Between south windows a C13 priest's doorway with edge-roll surround.
Hood mould with worn labels. Plank door. To west of south wall a small C13
lancet with chamfered surround and hood mould with labels. C12 nave with C13
north aisle and C14 south chapel and porch. C15 clerestory. 3 bays with
chamfered plinth to chapel, quoins, moulded eaves cornice (the south side has a
carved-head corbel table) and coped parapet to west, south and east. North aisle
has coped gable to east with moulded kneelers. C13 east window to north aisle of
3 trefoiled and staggered lights within an unpierced segmental-pointed arch.
Chamfered surround with damaged hood mould and label. Three C13 north aisle
windows, that towards east similar to east window with either side of head of
taller middle light, a small quatrefoil piercing with some carving in small
spandrels below. The central and westernmost windows are of 2 trefoiled lights
with quatrefoil piercing within a pointed head. C13 north doorway between
windows is now blocked with brick and has a chamfered surround with broach stops
above imposts moulded with nail-head ornament. Hood moulds and labels. South
chapel has C14 east window of 3 lights and intersecting tracery within a
double-chamfered surround with hood mould and labels. In south wall, towards
east, 2 further C14 windows in similar style as that to east, but of 2 lights.
Window to left is restored. To left of windows a C14 doorway and hood mould with
labels. Plank door. C14 porch forming west end of chapel has pointed doorway
with double-chamfered head spinging from moulded capitals. Splayed jambs have
moulded bases. Hood mould with carved-head labels within a C12 round-headed
doorway with tympanum, plain except for moulded edges. Round head has chevron,
billet and checker ornament and is supported on round shafts with carved
capitals and moulded abaci. Plank door. West wall of porch has blocked pointed
light. To west of porch a square-headed window, possibly C13 with C15 head. 2
cusped lights and semi-quatrefoil tracery. Hood mould with carved head labels.
West window of nave is C14, of 3 cusped lights and reticulated tracery. Hood
mould with labels. C15 clerestory has five square-headed windows, each of 3
lights, with hood moulds with labels, To centre of clerestory a sundial with
moulded hood. C14 north-west tower of 3 stages with offset diagonal buttresses,
splayed string courses and embattled parapet. C18 west doorway has date
scratched 1771. C18 plank door. C14 window above of 2 lights and quatrefoil
within a pointed head, Hood mould. To second stage south and west a chamfered
loop. Bell-chamber stage has window of 2 lights and quatrefoil to each face.
Hood moulds and labels. Interior: chancel windows have chartered rere-arches. In
south wall a C13 trefoiled piscina with moulded surround and hood mould. Chancel
arch of 2 chamfered orders, the inner order supported on round engaged shafts
with capitals and moulded bases. C13 north arcade of 3 bays with round and
octagonal piers and responds, all with moulded bases. East respond has foliage
carving on moulded capital and octagonal pier has primitive fleur-de-lys carving
of moulded capital. Remaining round pier and respond have moulded capitals.
Double-chamfered pointed arches with continuous hood mould. C14 archway to south
chapel of 2 chamfered orders supported on polygonal responds with moulded bases
and capitals. Hood mould with labels. In south chapel wall a piscina with
moulded surround. Blocked double-chamfered north-west tower arch. C19 roofs. C14
octagonal font. In north wall of chancel a Tudor-arched richly moulded tomb
recess with hood moulds and shield labels. Limestone tomb with
quatrefoil-moulded sides, Alabaster top incised with effigy of John Merton,
rector, who died 1537 (date not inscribed). In south wall a limestone chest tomb
with gothic-style ogee-headed carved panel, but classical pilasters and frieze.
Black top with brass to Nicholas Asheton, rector, who died in 1582. Above, in
wall, a limestone tablet to Nicholas Asheton, with Latin inscription. Richly
carved, with heraldic shield and medallion. Tomb recess in south chapel wall has
many-moulded arch. Coffin lid with cross carved in low relief. Above recess, set
in wall, a blank shield. Late C13 tomb recess in north wall of aisle has
many-moulded surround and carved head at apex. No tomb survives. In tracery of
east window of chancel C14 stained glass, representing the Crucifixion to top,
with flanking ministering angels. C19 glass below. North and south windows have
heraldic glass of Mohun family in quatrefoils, those to north Cl4. Three reset
roundels in easternmost north aisle window, probably C14. One roundel restored.
Fragment of early glass in central aisle window. C15 stained glass in tracery of
east window of chapel, representing the head of Christ, the Virgin, the dove of
the Holy Spirit and 2 tonsured saints' heads. Cusped head of central light has
fragment of a canopy, with ruby border. In chancel 5 wall tablets to Elizabeth
Watkins, died 1709, Sarah Smyth, died 1758, R. Watkins (C18), Grace Watkins,
died 1718 and Fleetwood Watkins, 1741, and Henrietta Ingram, died 1762. C15
brass in nave with Latin inscription. Various C18 and later slabs in chancel and
nave floors.
(V.C.H.: Warwickshire, Vol.5, pp,206-209) Buildings of England: Warwickshire,
pp.470-471).
Listing NGR: SP3120234663
