Church of St Michael and All Angels

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at foot of N face of Breidden Hill.

History

Parish church, Diocese of St Asaph, Church in Wales. 1770 for ThomasáEyton, mid C19 chancel, all set in a 'D'-shaped raised churchyard.

Exterior

Red brick in Flemish bond, with red sandstone quoins. Slate roof with blue clay ridges between raised stone-coped gables. Chancel of irregular Breidden dolerite, also with sandstone quoins and dressings. Original building comprised rectangular nave and W tower, chancel added 1848. W tower in style of Robert Hooke, round headed W door with raised key stone and springing blocks, circular window to gallery, and round headed window openings to clock and bell stages, the latter with openings on three faces. Original parapet recently replaced by clumsy pyramidal slate roof with wide boxed eaves replacing, in 1966-74, a high crenellated parapet with corner spires. Nave has two large lancets of two chamfered orders, the eastern window on N side replaced by mid-C19 2-light window with quatrefoil head. Chancel of 2 bays with inset corner buttresses, lancet windows linked with bands and moulded string. Triple lancet E window. On N, rectangular brick vestry with slate roof set at right angles, and lean-to boiler house. Both have Romanesque style round-arched doors.

Interior

Nave of 3 bays. C19 open rafter roof with king post trusses and double purlins. West gallery, dated 1840, with panelled Gothic front and openwork tracery, supported on two columns and wall brackets. C18 fielded-panelled box pews and matching wall dado towards E. Red tiled floor. Walls plastered. Three steps to raised chancel. Chancel arch on impost columns, shaft rings and large foliate capitals carrying bowtell moulded 2-centred arch of alternating red sandstone and limestone voussoirs. Chancel has arch braced roof. All windows with similar banded stonework, the E window with internal shafts. Intersecting dog-tooth arcade to E end on alternating waterleaf and palmette capped demi-columns. Eastern window, S side has sill lowered as sedilia, and piscina with quatrefoil bowl. C19 Minton tiles to sanctuary, divided off by moulded pine rail on curved brackets.

West Gallery: Simple rustic oak benches and rails on stepped floor.

Glass: E window, 1900, signed I W, probably the designer for HerbertáBryans (pupil of Kemp). Nave NE window, 1883 Annunciation, dedicated to M D Darwall. NW: 1890, St Michael Archangel, to Rev Leicester [D W] Darwell, vicar 1837-1890.

Fittings: Font, under tower, C19 Bath stone, octagonal with carved panels. Lectern, a brass eagle. First pew on the north side contains the altered remains of the original altar rail. Pulpit in second pew on N side, C18 part hexagon, panelled with moulded cornice. On wall to rear tall fluted pilasters on oak board rising to hexagonal dentilled tester with ogee top and carved finial.

Monuments: In chancel: Carrara tablet to Mary D Darwell, 1882. In nave: Tablet 1895, to D Davies, by Marshall.

Bell: One C17 bell.

In chancel, a glass case containing a linen cape with embroidered collar and hood, worn by Revd D W Darwell, said to be for the first time in an English (sic) parish church. Darwell, a Cambridge man, was on intimate terms with the early Tractarians.

Reason for designation

An unusual ecclesiastical building showing contrasting architectural styles. Graded II* because of surviving internal furnishings, especially C18 pulpit, pews and gallery of 1840.