St Michael's Church, St Michael's on Wyre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's |
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| Church of Saint Michael | |
St Michael's Church, from the west
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| OS grid reference | SD 4620241041 |
| Location | St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 17 April 1967 |
| Administration | |
| Archdeaconry | Lancaster |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a very old and important church located in the village of St Michael's on Wyre, in Lancashire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This church is special because it's a great example of a church built in the late Middle Ages. It's so important that it's been given a "Grade I listed building" status by English Heritage. This means it's considered to be of exceptional historical interest! Today, it's still a busy local parish church for the community.
Contents
History of St Michael's Church
The village of St Michael's on Wyre was once part of a much larger area called Amounderness. This area had seven very old parishes, and St Michael's was the third biggest.
Early Beginnings
We know that there has been a church on this spot for a very long time. The Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086, mentions three churches in Amounderness. One of them was probably St Michael's. This means the church has been around for over 900 years!
Building Through the Ages
Parts of the church you see today are from at least the 1200s. The main building was likely built in the 1400s. Over the years, especially in the 1600s, changes and additions were made. Because of its amazing history and architecture, St Michael's Church was officially named a Grade I listed building on April 17, 1967. This is the highest level of protection for historic buildings in England.
Architecture and Design
St Michael's Church looks like many other churches built in northern England during the late Middle Ages. It's made from sandstone, both in smooth blocks (called ashlar) and rougher pieces (called rubble).
Church Layout
The church has a tower at its west end. The main part of the church, where people sit (the nave), and the area near the altar (the chancel) are under one continuous roof. There's also a special chapel on the north side.
The Tower
The church tower is thought to have been built around 1549. It's wide and not very tall. It has three sections, with the top section being a bit smaller and added later. You can see the date 1611 carved into the top edge (the parapet), along with the coat of arms of Henry Butler. The tower has angled supports called buttresses.
Roofs and Aisles
The main roof over the chancel and nave is made of blue slate. On the south side, there's a separate section called an aisle with its own gabled slate roof. This aisle has a decorative, castle-like top edge called an embattled parapet and more buttresses. A smaller aisle is on the north side, next to the Butler Chapel. There's also a porch on the south side of the church.
The Butler Chapel
The Butler Chapel is on the north side of the church and dates back to 1480. It was originally built as a chantry, a place where priests would pray for the souls of specific people. It was fixed up in 1797 and then restored again in 1854. This chapel also has a pitched roof with an embattled parapet from the 1800s. Its windows have flat tops with special leaf-like shapes called cinquefoil designs.
The Church Bells
The tower holds a set of three bells. They are very old!
- The smallest bell, called the treble, was made in 1458. It was a gift from a French lady named Catherine de Bernieules. It has old-fashioned Gothic writing on it.
- The middle bell was made in 1663 by Geoffrey Scott from Wigan.
- The largest bell was made in 1742 by Abel Rudhall from Gloucestershire.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Upper Rawcliffe-with-Tarnacre
