MATERIALS: Flint rubble with some Roman brick and pudding stone, dressings of clunch and Bath stone.
Tile, slate and lead roofs, shingled spire.
EXTERIOR: The exterior, especially of the nave, is largely a creation of the C19 restorations and rebuilding, and almost all of the windows are replacements in a free Geometric style of what were originally C16 windows.
The N and S aisles have pitched roofs that almost hide the small, C19 clerestory, replacing a medieval arrangement of low pitched roofs with embattled parapets and a much more prominent clerestory.
The S porch has a pitched roof and replaces a boxier C16 porch, and the N porch is also C19.
The 3-stage W tower retains its C13 appearance, although it was restored in the C19
the presence of C17 brick in the upper quoins also testifies to earlier restoration or rebuilding.
The C14 NE vestry is of two stories, and retains an embattled parapet.
The S chapel is C16 and retains its low pitched roof and plain parapet.
The S windows are C16, heavily restored, with uncupsed lights.
The S chapel retains its 3-light C16 windows.
INTERIOR The interior retains much more medieval fabric than the outside.
The 3-bay N and S nave arcades are C13, and have chamfered orders on octagonal and round piers.
The tower arch is also C13 and of similar design to the arcades.
The chancel arch was rebuilt in the C19 in an Early English style with the inner order on short, corbelled shafts, and the outer on nook shafts, but the chancel itself has many medieval features.
There is a heavily reworked C14 door from the chancel into the N vestry.
The 2-bay arcade into the S chapel is C16 and has moulded, 4-centred arches on a quatrefoil pier.
That in the vestry has a moulded, probably C15 wall plate.
The S chapel roof has heavily moulded and carved principal timbers and rafters, and seven carved bosses including the initials MR, an IHS monogram and the arms of the Grocers' company.
The mid C19 font in an Early English style with a quatrefoil bowl decorated with bands of carved foliage standing on clusters of shafts is notable.
Piscina of c.1530 in S chapel with a depressed, rounded head and a matching recess in the E wall that includes a drain at its N end.
Some good C19 and C20 glass.
Also in the S chapel, angel musicians by Hardman, c.1880.
HISTORY Braintree the place is mentioned in the Domesday book of the late C11, but the church itself is not listed, although this does not necessarily mean that there was not a church there at that time.
Braintree was an ancient, and prosperous, market town, and the church was enlarged in the C13
Nave and chancel C12 in origin.
The N and S aisles and the W tower were added c.1240.
The NE vestry was added in the late C14, and the N chapel built between it and the N aisle c.1400.
The S aisle was widened and lengthened to the W in the C15,
the S chapel was built c.1530, at which time the N aisle was widened and an upper floor inserted in the NE vestry.
The clerestory was also added or refenestrated in the C16, and most of the rest of the church was given new windows.
The extensive rebuilding of the church in the early C16 testifies to the particular prosperity brought to the town by the cloth trade in that period.
The S aisle was restored in 1866-7 by Frederic Chancellor, who also built the N porch and replaced much of the C16 work, including the S porch, clerestory and almost all of the windows.
its replacement with C13 work) was typical of church restoration in the mid C19.
SOURCES Lambeth Palace Library, ICBS 04980 Buildings of England: Essex 167-8 RCHME: Essex II , 27-8 REASONS FOR DESIGNATION The church of St Michael, Braintree, Essex is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * Fine medieval town church of the C12-C16, heavily restored externally in the C19, but retaining much medieval fabric internally. * Restored by the very well known and well respected architects J L Pearson and Frederic Chancellor and externally largely by them. * Notable broached and shingled spire. * Very interesting early C16 roof to N chapel