Church of St Michael the Archangel, Shalfleet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Shalfleet |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Michael the Archangel |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Shalfleet |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Shalfleet is an old parish church found in Shalfleet, a village on the Isle of Wight. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
This church is very old, dating back to the Middle Ages. It was built many centuries ago. In 1964, the church was officially named after St. Michael, because its original name had been forgotten over time.
The Strong Tower
The church has a special tower that was built way back in 1070. Imagine, it didn't have a door at ground level! People had to climb a ladder to get inside through a door on the roof. The tower's walls are super thick, about five feet wide. This made it a safe place for local people to hide when the French attacked by sailing up Newtown Creek. For many years, a "3 pound" gun, which had 'Schawflet' written on it, was kept in the tower until 1779.
The Missing Steeple
Around 1800, a tall, pointy roof called a steeple was added to the church. However, by 1912, the steeple was found to be unsafe and had to be taken down. The money to build this steeple had been raised by selling the old parish gun and the church bells. This led to a funny local rhyme that people used to say:
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- "Shalfleet poor and simple people
- Sold their bells to build a steeple."
Changes Over the Years
Over the centuries, the church has seen some changes. In 1889, the plaster was removed from the ceiling and walls. A blocked arch in the tower was opened up, and a new door was made on the north side. The east window of the aisle was also rebuilt.
The church is special because it still looks much like it did in the late 1200s, except for the tower. You enter through the north door, which has the date 1754 carved on it. This door leads into a 12th-century opening with old carvings.
Inside the Church
One interesting thing inside the church is that the floor gently slopes downwards towards the east end. There isn't a step or break where the main part of the church meets the chancel (the area near the altar).
The church tower holds two bells. The larger bell has a message carved into it from 1815. It says, "May all whom I shall summon to the grave, The ransom of a well-spent life receive." The smaller bell only has the names of the churchwardens, J. Jolliffe and J. Cooper, and the date 1807.
The Churchyard
The churchyard, which is the burial ground around the church, contains a special grave. It is a Commonwealth war grave for an officer from the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment who died during World War II.
