Church of St Michael

Cadw's description

Location

Located beside the main road from Forden to Gaer, 500m W of its junction with the main A490 from Welshpool to Montgomery.

History

Built by Thomas Nicholson of Hereford in 1865-1866 on a new site, N of the small single cell medieval church which it replaced. It is one of the earlier designs of his eclectic church building career, and he remained the architect to the church, providing such fittings as the reredos in 1879.

Exterior

Built of local stone rubble with red Grinshill and cream Minera dressings. Nave with N and S aisles, chancel with lean-to vestry on the N, and SW tower. Early Decorated style characterised by geometric tracery including; bold double lancets with an oculus in the head, under a heavy hood moulding. Three light E and W windows with foiled roundels; coped gables with a stone terminal cross. The tower is attached to the S aisle at the W end, of 3 stages, defined by string courses. Small pyramidal roof of slate with a wind vane and gilded weathercock; the planned spire was never built. The main door, under the tower, has a moulded 2-centred arch on boldly carved stiff-leaf capitals to igneous rock shafts, all enclosed with a triangular gabled string, the stones of which are joggled. At the E end of the aisles, both sides, a 3-light window rises to a coped gable flush with the aisle face. The windows all have plain leaded plate glass, now with external polycarbonate sheeting.

Interior

The entrance porch under the tower is seated both sides, and narrows to a ribbed vaulted passage to the main door, and with a shouldered door on the left. Ecclesiological interior, of snecked ashlar, nave and aisles, with a 4-bay arcade on stiff leaf decorated columns of banded red and cream stone, the arches pointed and similarly coloured, with a red outer band. Steep scissor-braced uniform scantling roof with inward leaning ashlars and a brattished cornice. Steeply pointed chancel arch carried on corbels with short polished marble shafts set on bishop and prince head corbels. The chancel is raised 2 steps, with a further 3 to the high altar. Open roof of 4 bays, the trusses carried down to wall corbels. Trefoil-headed door to the N vestry and a narrow arch to the organ chamber. Stone reredos of 1879: central gabled aedicule flanked by sculpted heads in sunk quatrefoils and a corbelled shelf below.

Glass: In the E window, St Michael etc by Morris & Co, to designs by Burne-Jones and Morris, also the 2 south windows. Fittings: Sanctuary rail of square section on brass plated foliated stanchions. Pulpit: a drum articulated with trefoil arches on red marble columns.

Lectern: a free-standing brass eagle of 1858.

Font, near the W end, a circular bowl supported by 4 sturdy columns with lead capitals. On the N side, at the W end of the aisle, a fine oval streaked marble font basin of 1791, the gift of Rich' Edmunds, brought from the old church and mounted on a splayed octagonal shaft. Reading desk of the choir stalls is carved with a running ivy-leaf scroll. In the tower, 3 bells, one from the old church, and two added c.1890.

Monuments: In S aisle (a) White tablet shield with margin, to Col Robt Harun, d.1896, by E M Lander of Kensal Green. (b) White tablet to Ann Morris and others, of the Gaer, d.1894-1909. In the N aisle, (c) a small brass, to Margaret Jacks of Stubb, d.1784, by W Rider, the sundial maker. In the nave (d) a brass commemorating the new heating apparatus, donated by Edmunds of Edderton Hall, 1917. In the porch, (e) a marble scroll on black, to Capt Richard Campbell d.1869 and Col. Hugh Morrieson, d.1832, and, unfixed, two unusual round-headed oak head boards, one of 1821. A late C18 Royal Arms has been placed in the Powysland Museum.

Reason for designation

Included as a good example of a mid-Victorian church, coherently designed to ecclesiological principals, which has been little altered, and retains fine late C19 fittings, including Morris & Co. stained glass.