Building record 0203600000 - ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH, STEWKLEY

Dimensions - Length 31m, Width 10m.
Plan Form - Subrectangular.
Most splendid piece of Norman parochial architecture in Bucks, and in addition exceptionally complete and unaltered (B6).
Mid C12 nave, central tower, chancel; C19/C20 additions. Restored by G E Street 1862. Romanesque ornamentation. C12-C13 font (&c) (B7).
Description (B4).
Engravings (B1).
Watching brief (B8).
Photos (B9).
Included in a collection of sketches of Buckinghamshire churches by Charlotte Pigott in the early 1840s (B12).
Grade I. Parish church. Mid C12 nave, central tower and chancel, C19 S. porch, vestry 1910. Chancel roof rebuilt 1844, remainder restored by G.E. Street 1862. Coursed lime and ironstone rubble, dressed stone quoins and C19 buttresses, tiled roofs. Romanesque. Sill course with zig-zag ornament, corbel table with rectangular corbel blocks, some with carved heads, round arched windows with chevron ornament to arch and jambs. W. wall of nave has triple arcade of moulded arches with chevron ornament on plain shafts and piers with carved caps. Outer arches are blind, taller central arch has door and 2 additional bands of chevron, the inner continued down the jambs, the outer on spiral shafts with carved caps. 2 small arches cut up into tympanum with carved winged figures. One window above to centre, round window with chevron ornament in gable. Nave has 2 bays of windows to E., W. bay has much restored doorways with chevron arches on shafts. N. door has outer band of stepped ornament and carved caps and impost blocks. S. door has outer band of ball ornament with carved figure at left end. C19 porch has chevron arch on paired shafts. Tower has arched windows to N. and S., small slit windows above. Blind arcaded frieze to bell-chamber with interlaced chevron arches on engaged shafts, central arch open and louvred. C19 plain parapet, carved gargoyles to corners and centres of each side. C14 square projection for stair turret at N.E, corner. Chancel of one bay has elaborate C19 buttresses with shafts. E. wall has triple arcade with paired shafts flanking central window, outer panels blind. Arches have chevron and rosette ornament, and plain shafts with scalloped caps. Slit window in gable. Interior: Sill course with zig-zag ornament, windows with chevron to arch and jambs. Tower and chancel arches have inner order of beakhead ornament and outer order of chevron, both on plain shafts with carved or scalloped capitals. Outer bands of chevron, that of tower arch terminating in carved heads. Nave and tower have C19 roofs, chancel has groin vault with chevroned ribs on shafts with scalloped capitals; reconstructed soffits have C19 painted scroll ornament. Recess in S. wall of chancel has pointed chamfered arch with hoodmould. Sedilia has original shaped stone armrest. Early C20 arch to vestry, C19 aumbry and tiles to E. wall. Fittings: C12-C13 tub font on moulded steps; panel on N, wall of chancel has fragments of C14-C15 carving with partly painted stone figures of Virgin and Child, angels and half-figure of man; C19 Neo-Romanesque pulpit; W. gallery designed by G.F, Bodley 1908; E. window has glass of 1844; other fittings C19 or early C20. RCHM II p. 275-7 (B7).
Architectural history (B13).
Street's restoration in 1862 included a new nave roof, reredos, pulpit and seating. The south porch was added in 1867 (B14).

The Parish Church of St Michael is built of limestone rubble mixed with local iron limestone, and entirely coated with Roman cement except for the East wall of the chancel and the west wall of the nave. The dressings are of stone and the roofs are tiled. The chancel central tower and nave were built ca.1160, and the only additions to the structure are the late C14th pinnacles, parapet and stair-turret of the tower, some modern buttresses at the angles of the chancel, and the modern South porch and South vestry. The vaulting of the chancel was rebuilt, except the C12th ribs, in 1844, and the whole church, including the roofs was restored in 1862 by GE Street (B3).
The building is exceptionally interesting as a complete example of a C12th church, and contains good moulding and carving of that date, including a tympanum over the South doorway to the nave. C12th tapering tub font on a moulded base. Grade I (B6).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.