Description

SJ 22 SW; 5/70

LLANYBLODWEL C.P.,
LLANYBLODWEL

Church of St Michael

08.10.59

GV

I

Parish church. Largely rebuilt by Revd. John Parker in 1847-53 with steeple
of 1855-6, incorporating substantial parts of medieval church, dating
principally from C12 and C15. Uncoursed limestone rubble with rough-hewn angle
quoins to C15 east end; roughly coursed and dressed limestone and gritstone
rubble with ashlar dressings to nave and chancel (south side); largely
rendered on north side; limestone rubble, sandstone ashlar and yellow brick
to steeple. Slate roofs with coped verges (stepped at west end) on carved
stone kneelers; floriated crosses to gables. Nave and chancel in one; north aisle; north
and south porches; detached steeple linked to main body of church by vestibule
(dated 1855 and 1856). C19 work in idiosyncratic Gothic style. Steeple.
Octagonal with swelling outline to second and third stages; lancets to all
faces with hoodmoulds and floriated label-stops stone spire with steep-
pitched lucarnes and floriated cross to top. Nave. Three 2-light Decorated-
style windows on south have mouchettes to heads, hoodmoulds and floriated
label-stops, space beneath each label-stop inscribed with religious symbols
or monograms except for east window which has inscription "A.D. 1847" beneath.
Rubble voussoirs above hoodmoulds. Two gabled eaves dormers with 2-light
Decorated-style tracery and ball-flower decoration to chamfered corners.
Three stepped buttresses with yellow brick facing. Gabled porch in west bay
has inscription "A.D. 1849" beneath head stops of pointed outer arch with
intertwining leaf decoration to capitals. Recessed shouldered arch with
pierced trefoils to spandrels. Lean-to to west with narrow rectangular
chamfered opening to front. Painted cast-iron gates to porch have lierne
vaulting pattern. Wooden vaulted roof, supported on ringed stone shafts,
has carved painted bosses, ribs and flying ribs. Bench with cusped edge
on east side; stone staircase to west. Remains of C14 grave slab with Lom-
bardic script to top right corner and carving of hare to bottom left fixed
to east wall. Tall round-headed C12 south doorway evidently repositioned
by Parker has plank door with incised carving to decorated strap hinges,
lower with fleur-de-lys pointing. Inscription on door "RBED / WA RD /
EX (?) S / 1713." Exterior west wall of porch has reused inverted datestone
inscribed "R (?) K M I (?)T (?)B/ WARDENS / 1717." West wall of nave has
two lancets with curious cusping and rose window above. East wall has 3-
light C15 window with trefoil heads and panel tracery. Date "1858" in
raised lettering on rainwater head at junction with north aisle. This has
similar east window to east wall of nave except with cinquefoil heads.
Three gabled eaves dormers on north side have rose windows and floriated finials,
that to right with C20 centre-hung casement inserted into lancet. Lean-
to porch below centre dormer has pointed cusped doorway on east side with
hoodmould and floriated label-stops, spaces beneath inscribed "IP / 1851".
Doorway beneath in north wall has cambered arch and nail-studded plank door
with pointed strap hinges; superscription "EM / IR / 1753". Two-light
C15 window with cambered head to east of porch. C19 two-light Perpendicular-
style window below right dormer. Ridge stack to right of centre with twin
shafts and dentilled capping. West wall has two cusped lancets and one above
to centre with blind pointed arch. Thin gabled turret-like buttress to
north-west corner. Vestibule linking steeple to church has inscription "FROM
LIGHTNING AND TEMPEST / FROM EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE / GOOD LORD DELIVER US"
over cambered arch.

INTERIOR. Largely embellished and reworked by Parker
but retains early C15 three-bay north arcade with short octagonal columns
and double-chamfered pointed arches. C19 arch-braced roof to nave in seven
bays with carved pendant bosses and gilded bosses at intersection of panels;
hammer beams over rood screen. Similar but slightly less elaborate roof
in four bays to north aisle. Panelled Gothic screen at west end supported
on four clustered columns with foliage carving to capitals at east end and
similar columns alternating with demi-columns (some with stiff-leaf foliage
to capitals) at west-end. Pointed doorway in north wall leads to upper
room (former school-room), latterly used as vestry and library. Restored
C15 rood screen has vine-trail decoration and carvings of animals (including
hare) to cornice. Nine lights below (including centre opening) have variety
of Gothic tracery patterns; brattishing above cornice largely original but
crocketed finials added by Parker. Screen continues across north aisle:
also nine one-bay divisions with Gothic tracery patterns, crenellated cornice
and attached carving. Organ gallery in north aisle with blind Gothic tracery
pattern supported on two cast-iron columns (painted to resemble wood), erected
in 1835. Contemporary staircase to gallery has turned balusters. A notable
feature of the church is the painted mural decoration, commissioned by Parker
and restored in 1960: foliage decoration to columns, responds, window splays
and heads. Texts to walls and to arches of north arcade. Octagonal font
with painted carved decoration said to be c.1660 but may be a medieval font
recut; rests on possibly C12 scalloped base. Reredos and altar with blind
Gothic tracery patterns by Parker; communion rails also by him but incorporating
medieval tracery patterns, probably taken from screen. Repositioned mid-
C19 benches in nave and north aisle. Late C18 or C19 'porter's' chair
in sanctuary donated to church in 1971. Stained glass: east window of
north aisle in memory of Lt. John Donne (died 1851). East window commemorates
Revd. James Donne (died 1844) and his second wife, Alice (died 1841).
Chancel south window to Elias Owen (vicar, 1892-8). MONUMENTS. Massive
wall memorial to Sir John Bridgeman (died 1747), erected 1752 by his daughter,
Judeth; eulogistic inscription with large volutes to left and right, a Rococo
cartouche below and a decorated urn flanked by volutes at the top: north
aisle, north side, by J.M. Rysbrack. Wall memorial to Sir John's wife,
Ursula (died 1719) with seated putto to top: north aisle, east wall, by
Thomas White of Worcester. Roger Mathews (died 1673), similar monument
to Lady Ursula Bridgeman's, erected c.1736: sanctuary, north of east window,
also by White. To Rees Tanat, (died 1661) small wall memorial with grotesque
head to bottom: south of east window. Cartouches flanking east arch of
north arcade, left to John Bridgeman (died 1796), right to George Bridgeman
(died 1717). South wall of chancel has memorial to Susanna Godolphin and
to other members of the Tanat family (no date). Immediately to right is
small cartouche to Owen Tanat (died 1668). Hatchment to Godolphin family,
north wall of nave. Former school-room has tablet inscribed "This / School-
house / was erected A.D. / 1719" to west wall. C20 lean-to toilet to west
of north porch is not of special architectural interest. B.o.E. pp. 170-
1; D.H.S. Cranage, The Churches of Shropshire, Part 9 (1908) pp. 798-800.

Listing NGR: SJ2394222893

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Michael the Archangel, Llanyblodwel at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17008881

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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