St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett
A small church seen from the south. On the left is the short nave on top of which is a bellcote with a pyramidal tower, and on the right is the chancel
St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett, from the south
St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett is located in Shropshire
St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett
St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett
Location in Shropshire
52°31′44″N 2°30′31″W / 52.5289°N 2.5085°W / 52.5289; -2.5085
OS grid referenceSO 655 924
LocationNear Bridgnorth, Shropshire
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteChurches Conservation Trust
History
DedicationSaint Michael
Architecture
Functional statusRedundant
Heritage designationGrade I
Designated30 Oct 2012
Architectural typeChurch
StyleNorman
Groundbreaking12th century
Specifications
MaterialsStone, tile roofs

St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett, is a redundant Anglican church. It stands on a remote hillside adjacent to Upton Cressett Hall, some 5 km west of the town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England (grid reference SO655924). It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2]

History

The church originates from the 12th century.[1] A north aisle was added in the 13th century, but this has since been demolished. A chapel was built on the south side of the chancel, probably in the 14th century. In the late medieval era a south porch was added.[3] The church was declared redundant on 2 October 1970, and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 March 1972.[4]

Architecture

Interior in 1832, by Henry Harris Lines

St Michael's is a small and simple church containing Norman architecture.[2] The body of the church is constructed in stone with tiled roofs, and the south porch is timber framed. Its plan consists of a nave with a south porch, and a chancel with a south chapel. Towards the west end of the nave roof is a weatherboarded bellcote with a short spire covered in lead. The Norman architecture includes some of the windows, the south doorway, the arcade of the demolished north aisle, and the chancel arch. The south doorway has two orders of shafts, and two orders decorated with chevrons on its arch. The arcade is visible from the outside of the church and is in two bays. The chancel arch is described by the architectural historians John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner as "the most impressive Norman feature" in the church.[3] It has three orders of shafts and three orders of chevron on the arch. The font is also Norman. The east window appears to have been reconstructed as a lancet window in the 13th century. On the west wall of the chapel is a painting dating from about 1200. It depicts an enthroned king, and is decorated with foliage scroll-work.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England, "Former Church of St Michael, Upton Cressett (1367566)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 9 April 2015
  2. 1 2 St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett, Shropshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 29 March 2011
  3. 1 2 3 Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), The Buildings of England: Shropshire, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 668, ISBN 0-300-12083-4
  4. ↑ Diocese of Hereford: All Schemes (PDF), Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2011, p. 4, retrieved 11 April 2011
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