St Michael, Aston Tirrold

 

 This is a revisit to a church in the next village to me Now I did visit St Michael back in 2013 but I though I really should write a new blog on the church as I had forgotten what a pretty church it was

 

There may have been a church on the site of the Church of England parish church of Saint Michael since the Saxon period, as the north aisle has a square-headed doorway that may date from this period. The doorway is clearly not in its original position, as it links the 19th century north aisle with the vestry. The church is a Grade II* listed building.  The Norman south doorway is 11th century. The nave and chancel were also Norman, built in the 12th century, but the chancel was rebuilt in the Early English Gothic style in the first half of the 13th century. The priest's doorway and lancet windows survive from this time. The south transept is also from the first half of the 13th century but was remodeled in the first half of the 14th century. The Decorated Gothic east window of the chancel is also 14th century.

Page and Ditchfield thought that the bell tower was from the first half of the 13th century. However, it is Perpendicular Gothic which suggests it is no earlier than the middle of the 14th century. St Michael's used to have a rood loft. It was removed, presumably during the English Reformation, and the stairs are now blocked. The upper and lower doorways to the stairs are late Perpendicular Gothic. In 1863 the church was restored and the Gothic Revival north aisle was added. The aisle has three bays designed in a 14th-century style. The organ loft was added in 1910 but includes a 15th-century Perpendicular Gothic window that may have come from the north wall of the nave when the north aisle was built.

The tower has a ring of six bells. The third bell was cast in about 1599, probably at Salisbury in Wiltshire. Joseph Carter of Reading, Berkshire cast the second bell in 1603. Henry I Knight of Reading cast the fourth bell in 1617 and Ellis I Knight cast the fifth bell in 1639. Lester and Pack of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the tenor bell in about 1769. Mears and Stainbank, also of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, cast the treble bell in 1937. There is also a Sanctus bell, cast by an unidentified foundry in about 1499. St Michael's is now part of the Benefice of the Churn

 

 

South aspect of St Michael

Chancel end with priest door

 East end, to the north side you can see the new  extension 

 

South west view

From the south east

From the west entrance to the churchyard

The churchyard is not large 

Containing older burials

Along with a tomb chest

and a couple of other tombs

A lot of the older headstones are used to like the bank holding it back

In the shade of the yew tree

The path going to the church

Before I go inside the church I thought I should show where the cemetery is now, further along the road you will see this Lychgate

This is the cemetery used by both Aston Tirrold and Aston Upthorp the adjoining village

I thought this was the war memorial but I think it is some ones monument

The cemetery is well kept

It also contains a fair number of grave 

I always seem to find a grave of a young child which I find sad, this one of a child reading a book

The churchyard again with obelisk 

On the porch is this memorial

The church is kept lock due to boneheads vandalizing 

But today it was opened for me 

Porch wall

Echo awards 

Inside is bright and cheerful 

Looking into the chancel

The chancel and choir stalls

Altar with really nice cloth

East window showing the crucifixion 

Looking back to the nave

 

The pulpit with a reminder of Easter 

View from the pulpit

The church did have a rood loft, the door in front the entrance above where you came out

The corbels on the chancel arch are painted

The green man

Collage of the Choir

The organ

Close up of the pipes

Lancet windows

The stained glass on I thought wonderful

Candelabra 

The west window

Some of the memorials

Harriss memorial

This one is more modern than it looks it's just not easy to read

Langmore memorial 

WWI Roll of Honour

Collage of memorials

Gillespie memorial

South Transept window in the chapel

Mothers Union banner and Roll of Honour

The south Transept chapel

The altar 

Closer view of the altar

Prayer desk

Box pew where the creche is  

At the back of the north aisle

Organ by the vestry door

Cross family memorials

The door going from the chancel to the north aisle 

Looking across the church from the lectern

The chancel

From the back of the north aisle

To the chancel and south transept

At one time there was a window over the entrance door

View of the church from the entrance

Church chest

Bequests 

The tower recess 

Could not say how old the font was, could be Norman

The church from the font

With that I will leave you 

Till next time

Have a peaceful week