St Michael

PLAN: Rectangular plan, continuous C14 north aisle and chapel with a small projecting chapel to north-east corner.

The lower central gable to the north aisle has a pointed gauged stone arch over a hoodmould with figure stops holding shields

The projecting north-east chapel has a rectangular dripmould over a 2-light C15 cusped ogee-headed window.

Adjacent to it, in the north wall of the north aisle, is a C15 window similar to that of the chapel.

The C15 Perpendicular 3-light west window to the north aisle has head stops to the hoodmould.

The large C15 tower of blue lias has deep, red sandstone buttresses which are set back and offset, finishing below the crenellated parapet.

that below the parapet has gargoyles to the corners and centres.

Above, the moulded string course rises to form a hoodmould over a large C15 four-light window with Perpendicular tracery and an ogee trefoil head to each light.

The ornamented merlons to the parapet have heraldic animal gargoyles to the string course.

The C15 south porch, of mixed red sandstone and lias rubble, has C19 stepped stone coping to the gable, a slit window in the apex and a chamfered pointed arch of blue lias through a wall approx 1m thick.

To the right of the porch is a hoodmould over C16 Perpendicular transomed 4-light window with panel tracery.

To the right of that is a C15 two-storey rectangular stair tower to the rood loft.

The south side of the chancel is of red sandstone, it has steps up to a C15 small 4-centred arched planked door flanked by C19 three-light pointed-arched windows with head stops to the hoodmoulds

each of these has a medieval buttress to the right.

INTERIOR: the nave and the chancel, without division, are 8 bays with C15 slim octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches.

FITTINGS: the early C15 octagonal font has a richly panelled stem and a ledge at the foot of the bowl with seated figures.

The rood screen, a very late medieval example in the West Country tradition, spans the nave and the aisle, it has ribbed and panelled coving and sharply carved foliate friezes over 4-light sections with the arches subdividing into 2 lights

The C17 panelled pulpit on a stone plinth is against the south wall.

To the left of the altar is a C15 chest tomb with 8 crocketed ogee-arched niches and an effigy of a priest holding a chalice, thought to be Richard Bruton, vicar from 1401 to 1406

he has two angels at his head

the canopy, later C15 with a panelled vault inside, originally had 6 angel figures below fine gables.

The Fitzjames Missal of 1320

great chest with the coat of arms of Richard Fitzjames, vicar from 1485 to 1497,

3 books bequeathed by Alexander Ewens, churchwarden in 1639, are on display at the west end.

On the north wall are the coats of arms of Queen Anne and George II, and painted panelled boards with the Commandments, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer given by Robert Quirke in 1634 and 1637.