St. Michael and All Angels is the
parish church for the town of
Middlewich in
Cheshire , England. It stands at the junction of the
A54 and
A533 roads . The church is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II*
listed building . It is an active
Anglican parish church in the
diocese of Chester , the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Middlewich. Its
benefice is combined with that of
St John, Byley . In 1947 the architectural historian Raymond Richards described the church as "the one building, in a depressing town, which is mellow and dignified".
History
Parts of the church date from the 12th century, possibly the lower portion of the tower, but more likely the narrow arcade of the east bay. Most of the church was built during the period between about 1480 and 1520 when the nave clerestory was added, new windows were inserted, the Lady chapel was built at the east end of the south aisle and a two-storey porch was added to the south side. In the following century the Kinderton chapel was added at the east end of the north aisle. The church was damaged during the English Civil War , particularly during the First Battle of Middlewich in March 1643, when the Royalists used it as a place of sanctuary. In 1801 restorations were carried out, including moving the Venables screen into the tower. In 1857 a window was added to the memory of John Hulse . In 1857–60 the north aisle and Kinderton chapel were remodelled by Joseph Clarke. This was a part of a general remodelling of the church, which included removing the whitewash from the interior of the church to reveal the sandstone appearance seen today.
Architecture
Exterior
The church is built of sandstone and is mainly Perpendicular in style. The plan of the church consists of a tower at the northwest, a four-bay nave with a clerestory, broad north and south aisles, a two-bay chancel and a south porch. At the east end of the north aisle is the Kinderton chapel, built in the 16th century, and at the east end of the south aisle is a chapel which was formerly a Lady chapel.
Interior
The timber roof of the chancel was originally built by Sir William Brereton in 1621. This was replaced in 1951 with a design copying the original. The Kinderton Chapel (also known as the Bostock Chapel) is now used as the rector's vestry , and it contains the oldest monument in the church, a brass dated 1591 in memory of Elizabeth Venables, wife of Baron Kinderton. A Jacobean screen with the carved arms of the Venables family was originally at the entrance to the Kinderton chapel but is now inside the tower. The organ was built in 1908 by Conacher and radically rebuilt in 1964 by Rushworth and Dreaper . There is a ring of eight bells. Three of these were cast in 1711 by Rudhall of Gloucester , one bell was cast in 1841 by Thomas Mears II at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry , and the other four are dated 1897 by John Taylor and Company . The parish registers begin in 1604 and the churchwardens ' accounts in 1636.
External features
In the churchyard is a sundial probably dating from the late 18th century. It consists of a vase baluster on a circular stone step on brick base. The copper dial has a date which is illegible and the gnomon is broken. It is designated as a Grade II listed building.
Priests and Vicars of Middlewich
Priests
~1200
Warin
1342
John de Leysthorp
1429
Thomas Thikenes
~1250
Thomas
1349
John Bele
1459
John Heynes
1306
Richard Tuchet
1352
John Folvill
1484
John Bressnel
1329
John de Offord
1361
Thomas Fraunceys
1494
William Sutheworthe
1330
Andrew de Offord
1402
John Tochet
Vicars
1504
William Bithewaithe
1695
William Handford
1877
Francis Minton
1504
John Fornebye
1702
John Cowper
1902
Hesketh France Hayhurst
1525
Amerus Burdet
1719
John Cartwright
1904
Arthur Gascoigne Child
1563
John Knightley
1731
John Swinton
1921
Wilfrid Rawton Ingham
1568
Peter Presland
1737
Robert Moreton
1937
Albert William Harrison-Harlow MC
1580
William Kinsey
1780
William Kyffin
1947
George Richardson Kemp
1616
Robert Halliley
1787
Joshua Powell
1952
Leslie Edgar Evans
1646
Thomas Langley
1797
William Henry Heron
1957
Laurence Roy Ridley
1647
Matthew Clayton
1811
James Stringer
1969
Eric Alexander Owen
1662
Lawrence Griffith
1819
Isaac Wood
1971
Eric William Cox
1680
Thomas Faulkner
1864
Henry Goodwin
denotes joint ministers
Gallery
The main altar
The Venables screen
Interior of the church
Closeup view of the South Altar
Distant view of the South Altar
Detail of carving on one of the pillars
See also
References
^ Middlewich , Streetmap, retrieved 17 January 2011
^ Historic England , "Church of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich (1138795)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 5 August 2012
^ St Michael & All Angels, Middlewich , Church of England , retrieved 17 January 2011
^ Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches , London: B. T Batsford, pp. 234–237
^ Charles Frederick Lawrence (1895), History of Middlewich , Eachus and Son, Sandbach
^ St. Michael and All Angels, Middlewich , The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, archived from the original on 28 July 2012, retrieved 13 June 2010
^ Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire , Malvern: Folly Publications, p. 52, ISBN 1-871731-23-2
^ About the Church , St Michael and All Angels Church, Middlewich, archived from the original on 8 December 2004, retrieved 3 October 2007
^ "NPOR [N04308]" , National Pipe Organ Register , British Institute of Organ Studies , retrieved 1 July 2020
^ Middlewich S Michael , Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 11 August 2008
^ Historic England, "Sundial south of west bay of Church of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich (1229502)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 5 August 2012
^ Richards, Raymond (1971), Old Cheshire Churches: A Survey of their History, Fabric and Furniture with Records of the Older Monuments
External links
Churches in Cheshire
St Mary's Church, Acton
Alderley Edge Methodist Church
St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge
St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford
Christ Church, Alsager
St Mary Magdalene's Church, Alsager
St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley
St Mark's Church, Antrobus
St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn
St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Ashton Hayes
St Mary's Church, Astbury
St Peter's Church, Aston-by-Sutton
Audlem Baptist Church
St James' Church, Audlem
St Oswald's Church, Backford
St Michael's Church, Baddiley
Christ Church, Barnton
St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow
St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley
Holy Trinity Church, Bickerton
St Wenefrede's Church, Bickley
Bollington Methodist Church
St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington
St Oswald's Church, Bollington
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley
St Paul's Church, Boughton
St Oswald's Church, Brereton
Brown Knowl Methodist Church
St Mary's Church, Bruera
St Boniface's Church, Bunbury
St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
St Nicholas' Church, Burton
St John's Church, Burwardsley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley
Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst
Holy Trinity Chapel, Capesthorne
St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford
English Presbyterian Church of Wales, Chester
Chester Cathedral
Christ Church, Chester
Holy Trinity Church, Chester
Northgate Church, Chester
St Andrew's Church, Chester
St Francis' Church, Chester
St John the Baptist's Church, Chester
St Peter's Church, Chester
Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester
St Michael's Church, Chester
St Nicholas' Chapel, Chester
St Olave's Church, Chester
St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester
St Werburgh's Church, Chester
Welsh Presbyterian Church, Chester
Zion Chapel, Chester
St Nicholas' Chapel, Cholmondeley
St James' Church, Christleton
All Saints Church, Church Lawton
St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull
St Mary's Church, Coddington
St Mary's Church, Congleton
St Peter's Church, Congleton
St Michael's Church, Coppenhall
St John's Church, Cotebrook
St Barnabas' Church, Crewe
St Mary's Church, Crewe
St Peter's Church, Crewe
Union Street Baptist Church, Crewe
St Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green
Christ Church, Croft
Christ Church, Crowton
All Saints' Church, Daresbury
St Wilfrid's Church, Davenham
St Peter's Church, Delamere
St Mary's Church, Disley
St Michael's Church, Ditton
St John's Church, Doddington
St Mary's Church, Dodleston
St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill
Christ Church, Eaton
St Mary's Church, Eccleston
Christ Church, Ellesmere Port
St Chad's Church, Farndon
St Luke's Church, Farnworth
Forest Chapel
St Laurence's Church, Frodsham
St James' Church, Gawsworth
St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall
St Luke's Church, Goostrey
St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth
All Saints Church, Great Saughall
Baptist Chapel, Great Warford
St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
St Mary's Church, Hale
St Mary's Church, Halton
St Mary's Church, Handbridge
All Saints Church, Handley
St Peter's Church, Hargrave
St John's Church, Hartford
All Saints Church, Harthill
St Matthew's Church, Haslington
St Philip's Church, Hassall Green
St Paul's Church, Helsby
St Thomas' Church, Henbury
St John's Church, High Legh
St Mary's Chapel, High Legh
St Luke's Church, Holmes Chapel
Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton
St Michael's Church, Hulme Walfield
Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield
St James' Church, Ince
St Philip's Church, Kelsall
St John the Evangelist's Church, Kingsley
Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford
St Cross Church, Knutsford
St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford
St Peter's Church, Little Budworth
St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh
St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover
St Luke's Church, Lower Whitley
Lymm Baptist Church
St Mary's Church, Lymm
King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield
St Alban's Church, Macclesfield
St George's Church, Macclesfield
St Michael's Church, Macclesfield
St Paul's Church, Macclesfield
St Peter's Church, Macclesfield
Macclesfield United Reformed Church
St Oswald's Church, Malpas
St Michael's Church, Marbury
St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton
St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich
St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon
Minshull Vernon United Reformed Church
St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley
St Stephen's Church, Moulton
St Mary's Church, Nantwich
St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston
St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
St Michael's Church, North Rode
Holy Trinity Church, Northwich
St Helen Witton Church, Northwich
St Luke's Church, Oakhanger
St Peter's Church, Oughtrington
St Catherine's Church, Over Alderley
St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover
St Paul's Church, Over Tabley
St Chad's Church, Over
Over United Reformed Church
St Thomas' Church, Parkgate
St Peter's Church, Plemstall
Poole Methodist Chapel
St Christopher's Church, Pott Shrigley
St George's Church, Poynton
St Peter's Church, Prestbury
St Mary's Church, Pulford
Holy Trinity Church, Rainow
St Mary's Church, Rostherne
All Saints' Church, Runcorn
Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn
Jenkin Chapel
St Mary's Church, Sandbach
Sandbach Methodist Church
St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandbach Heath
St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandiway
All Saints Church, Scholar Green
St Edith's Church, Shocklach
St Michael's Church, Shotwick
All Saints Church, Siddington
St John the Baptist's Church, Smallwood
All Saints Chapel, Somerford
St Lawrence's Church, Stoak
St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath
St Matthew's Church, Stretton
St Peter's Church, Swettenham
St Peter's Church, Tabley
St Helen's Church, Tarporley
St Andrew's Church, Tarvin
St Alban's Church, Tattenhall
All Saints Church, Thelwall
St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors
St John's Church, Threapwood
St Mary's Church, Tilston
St Jude's Church, Tilstone Fearnall
St John the Evangelist's Church, Toft
St Chad's Chapel, Tushingham
St Chad's Church, Tushingham
Holy Ascension Church, Upton-by-Chester
St Leonard's Church, Warmingham
Holy Trinity Church, Warrington
St Alban's Church, Warrington
St Elphin's Church, Warrington
St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington
St Mary's Church, Warrington
St Peter's Church, Waverton
Methodist Church, Weaverham
St Mary's Church, Weaverham
Wesley Methodist Church, Chester
All Saints' Church, Weston, Cheshire
St John the Evangelist's Church, Weston
Christ Church, Wheelock
St Mary's Church, Whitegate
St Ambrose Church, Widnes
St Bede's Church, Widnes
St Marie's Church, Widnes
St Mary's Church, Widnes
St Saviour's Church, Wildboarclough
Christ Church, Willaston
Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow
St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow
St Michael's Church, Wincle
St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford
St Oswald's Church, Winwick
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston
St Oswald's Church, Worleston
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury