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Description

SWATON MAIN STREET TF 13 NW (east side) 8/88 Church of St. Michael 1/2/67 G.V. I Parish church. C12, C13, C14, C17, restored 1851, 1856 and 1909. Limestone ashlar, some coursed rubble, copper roofs. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles, north and south transepts, crossing tower. West front has stepped and gabled buttresses and a large 4 light reticulated window in a continuously moulded pointed surround with diminutive annular imposts. To either side are single smaller 2 light matching windows. The north aisle has an embattled parapet and stepped buttresses. A pointed and moulded dodorway is set between 2 three light reticulated windows. In the north wall of the transept is a similar 3 light window. The square 2 stage tower has an embattled parapet with 6 crocketted pinnacles. In the belfry stage are pointed cusped ogee headed louvred openings in hollow chamfered pointed surrounds with hoods. In the lower stage of the tower is a pair of C13 lancets in a pointed chamfered surround. The C13 coursed rubble chancel has stepped ashlar buttresses. There are 3 lancets on the north side with chamfered surrounds and a round headed chamfered doorway with moulded imposts. Fine C13 2 light east window with geometric tracery and quatrefoil in a moulded surround. Above is a blank sunk quatrefoil panel. The south chancel wall also has 3 chamfered lancets. The south transept has a C19 round headed doorway to the east, and to the south a large C17 mullioned and transomed 4 light window with reused C14 moulded reveals. Above is an C18 sundial and there is a reused C17 coffin slab to the gable. In the south side of the tower is a C13 2 light window matching that to the north and below is a blocked C12 round headed window. The south aisle wall contains 2 large 3 light reticulated windows. The gabled south porch has gabled angle buttresses and a moulded outer doorway with double shafts and annular capitals. The inner doorway is also pointed with 2 filleted orders of moulding to the head and angle shafts with annular capitals. Side benches. Interior: tall 3 bay nave arcades, quatrefoil piers with concave quirks, engaged annular capitals and double wave moulded pointed arches. C14 king post tie beam roof of nave continues uninterrupted over the aisles. In the eastern ends of the aisles are double chamfered doorways into the transepts. Above the southern door is an incomplete C13 red painted Wheel of Life. Double chamfered chancel arch with filleted shafted reveals and moulded octagonal imposts. In the north east angle of the nave a short run of C12 chevron ornament marks the springing of an earlier arcade. Above the chancel arch is a 2 light C13 window matching those to the sides of the tower. In the north transept is a C14 piscina with cusped ogee head and crocketted finial, and in the south transept is a plain aumbry and a trilobe headed piscina. In the west wall of the transept is a blocked C12 round headed window. Under the tower are double chamfered arches matching the chancel arch. The rear arch of the east chancel window is shafted and richly moulded. Fittings: Minton tiled sanctuary. A good collection of C14 poppybead bench ends, some 35 in all, with blank panel tracery having trefoils, quatrefoils and foliage. Elements of a C14 screen are reused in the south transept, including a moulding top beam with fleurons. Otherwise the woodwork is all C19 in a matching C14 style. C14 octagonal ashlar font has continous panels of fleurons to the sides, ball flowers to the lower chamfer and an engaged shafted base with annualar capitals. Monuments: early C14 effigy of a lady in the north aisle, she is clad in a wimple with tightly buttoned sleaves, hands clasped in prayer and the feet resting on a dog. In the south aisle is an ashlar plaque to John Billings, d.1773, in the form of a scrolled oval panel with cherub. Also a white marble tablet to John West, gentleman, d.1853, in the form of a plain pedimented obelisk. Listing NGR: TF1329337523

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