St Michael's Church is an active parish church in the village of Michaelchurch-on-Arrow, Gladestry, Powys, Wales. Despite its location in Wales, St Michael's is a member of the Church of England, administered through the parish of Brilley with Michaelchurch-on-Arrow in the Diocese of Hereford. Built in the 13th century, the church is designated by Cadw as a Grade I listed building.
| St Michael's, Michaelchurch-on-Arrow | |
|---|---|
 | |
  St Michael's, Michaelchurch-on-Arrow Location in Powys | |
| 52°08′58″N 3°06′05″W / 52.1495°N 3.1013°W | |
| OS grid reference | SO 247 507 |
| Location | Michaelchurch-on-Arrow, Gladestry, Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | active |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 21 September 1962 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Hereford |
| Deanery | Kington and Weobley |
| Parish | Brilley with Michaelchurch-on-Arrow |
History
editThe Church of St Michael stands in a rectangular churchyard in the centre of the hamlet of Michaelchurch-on-Arrow, near Gladestry, close to the border with England and 8km from Kington, Herefordshire.[1] The church dates from the 13th century, although possibly with earlier origins, and was restored in 1869.[2][3]
Although located in Wales, St Michael's is a church of the Church of England, administered through the parish of Brilley with Michaelchurch-on-Arrow in the Diocese of Hereford.[4]
Architecture and description
editSt Michael's consists of a nave, a chancel, a western tower and a south porch and a northern vestry. The building material is mainly local rubble, with slate roof.[1] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) records the presence of a ciborium, pre-dating the Reformation, a survival that RCAHMW suggests may be unique in Wales.[2] The Cadw listing record reports that the four central bosses carry carved heads which have been identified as depicting an unknown Bishop of Hereford, Henry IV, his wife, Joan of Navarre and a grotesque, which are dated to around 1410.[3] Robert Scourfield and Richard Haslam, in their Powys volume in the Buildings of Wales series, note the stained glass by Mayer & Co. which they describe as having "typical, dramatic colours".[5] St Michael's is a Grade I listed building.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Radnorshire Churches Survey: Church of St Michael , Michaelchurch-on-Arrow". Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b "St Michael's Church, Michaelchurch-On-Arrow (309148)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Cadw. "Church of St Michael (Grade I) (8782)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "St Michael's Church, Michaelchurch-on-Arrow". Gladestry Community Council. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Scourfield & Haslam 2013, pp. 373–374.
Sources
edit- Scourfield, Robert; Haslam, Richard (2013). Powys: Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire. The Buildings of Wales. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-18508-9.
External links
edit