Church of St Michael

Details

BETCHWORTH C.P. CHURCH STREET TQ 24NW 6/5 Church of St. Michael 11/11/66 GV I

Church. Saxon origins with Pre-Conquest fragments in Tower. Later C11 tower walling, since moved, with enlargement in Early C13. South aisle circa 1200, north aisle slightly later with later C13 chancel and Lady Chapel to south. Church restored by E. C. Hakewill in 1850 when original Norman crossing tower was moved and tower built at end of south aisle, further restorations of 1870. Chalk rubble with clunch and firestone dressings, replaced in C19 by Bath stone; fine ashlar to upper stage of tower with Horsham slab roofs. Originally low, Saxon stone church with central Norman crossing tower, now with tower to south; transept and vestry to north and porches to west and south. Pentice aisle to south with C14 windows. Clear-storey above. 3 stage tower with half octagonal buttress and broaches to west face, corbel band with floral bosses on parapet and one 2-light, louvred window to each face of upper stage. Lancet window on each face of middle stage and C19, 3 stepped-light, plain arched window to south face of lower stage. Lady Chapel -:C19 net tracery window on east end, C14 window on south side. Diagonal buttresses to east end of chancel, two C19, Decorated style,windows to end, the largest one with 3 roundels, 3 lancets on north chancel wall. Vestry at right angles to chancel with gable end roundel and Tudor style door. North transept:- C19 with gable end crucifix and stepped, plate-tracery window. North aisle:- clear-storey above with alternating square and round leaded windows. C14 aisle windows, those in small 2-light, trefoil- head openings with cusped, vesica-shaped quatrefoil over, tinder plain hood moulding (circa 1320). Two-light window to west with cinque-foil heads under pointed, segmental arch, terminals of hood moulding carved into Canon's heads. C19 window to west. Porch with door to west under hood mould and ball flower stops, chamfered and broach-stop surround. South porch similar but with half- pier responds and hood mould. Interior:- Plain,cusped braced roof, C15 timber roof in tower (moved with it in C19). Round pier nave arcades of c.1200 with half-octagonal pier responds to north, three bay arcade to south with one round pier and one octagonal pier both with moulded plinths and caps. Chancel arch C13, raised and widened in 1850, adjacent nave arches also of similar date with 3 recessed chamfered orders, one capital reset in tower of pre-conquest date. 8 circular roll mouldings one above the other. Arch between south aisle and tower post conquest C11 - originally, a crossing arch and reset in 1850 - with two square orders and cushion capitals on chamfered abaci. South chancel arcade, 3 bays with two orders, the outer square-edged, the inner chamfered, on octagonal and circular caps of heavy round piers with shallow octagonal responds. Fittings:- Arched aumbry by south door. Tub font on round plinth, 1951 by Eric Kennington,with carvings of St Michael and the Madonna and chain links to base. Florid multicoloured marble pulpit c1885, 5 different types of stone with inlay panels of Faith, Hope and Love on triple columned stem and with wrought- iron balustrade to stair. PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) pp.91-2. V.C.H. SURREY (1967) Vol. III pp.170-2.

Listing NGR: TQ2105949702

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

290114

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Malden, H E, The Victoria History of the County of Surrey, (1902), 170-172
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I Rev. by Cherry, The Buildings of England: Surrey, (1971), 91-92

End of official list entry

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