St Michael & All Angels Church, Great Comberton

The church of ST. MICHAEL consists of a chancel 23 ft. 6 in. by 14 ft. 6 in., with vestry and organ chamber, nave 29 ft. 3 in. by 21 ft. 3 in. and west tower 11 ft. by 8 ft. 6 in. The total length is 65 ft. 6 in., all the measurements being internal.Some of the rubble masonry of the nave may perhaps be of early date, but the church appears to have been almost entirely rebuilt in the 14th century, beginning at the east end. Apart from some small alterations in the 15th century, it remained untouched till modern times, when the vestry and organ chamber were added and the east wall and chancel arch rebuilt.The east window is modern and of three lights, and in the north wall are two 14th-century windows, both of two lights, the first having a pointed and traceried head and the second a square head and ogee lights. Between them is a priest's door, apparently of the early 15th century, with a moulded external label and large stops carved with crowned heads. Both this and the second window now open into the modern vestry. In the south wall is a twolight 14th-century window, similar to the first on the north, and at the west end a modern arch opening into the organ chamber. The pointed chancel arch and roof are modern, and in the east wall to the south of the altar is a 14th-century piscina with a trefoil ogee head, bowl and shelf.The nave is lighted by two 14th-century windows in each wall; the eastern pair are of three trefoiled lights under a pointed head filled with trefoils. The western pair are similar, but of two lights only; the mullions and tracery are all restored, but the openings are original. (fn. 49) The tower arch is of rough construction, and is apparently in an unfinished state; it is the full height of the nave roof and is pointed, with broad roughly chamfered jambs. These are finished on the inside of the tower by chamfered imposts, from which spring arches supporting the side walls. They open into deep recesses formed by continuing the side walls of the nave to the west face of the tower. The northern has an irregular-shaped roof, plastered on the soffit, and in the south wall of the southern is a pointed window of two plain lights. The west window is pointed and of two lights with a quatrefoil in the head, and below it is an early 15th-century pointed west doorway with an external label and head stops of a man and woman. Within it is a small lobby with stone walls and an inner pointed doorway with chamfered jambs having voluted stop-chamfers.The tower is three stages high and finished with an embattled parapet having crocketed pinnacles at the angles and large grotesque gargoyles at the angles of the parapet string. The ground stage is supported by two western buttresses stopping at the level of the second stage, which is lit by loops to the north and south. The bell-chamber has a two-light squareheaded window in each face with trefoiled ogee-headed lights of late 14th-century date. On the south face is a small sundial. There are six bells, the first, second, fourth and fifth by Matthew Bagley, 1687 (probably cast at Evesham); the third and sixth by Taylor of Loughborough, 1869 (the tenor being then added as a new bell). The nave roof is a good example of 14th-century work; it is of wagon form, all the rafters being trussed and having moulded plates, purlins and ridge-piece.
The early 15th-century font, under the tower, has an octagonal bowl, each face having a quatrefoil panel and a blank shield, a moulded necking and base. The communion table is Jacobean with turned legs, and there are two chairs of similar date, one with a carved head at the back being particularly good. The quire-stalls are largely made up of Jacobean panelling, and the benches in the nave are probably of the 16th century; they are quite plain, but unusually massive, even the book boards being some 2 in. thick.The plate is modern, and consists of a cup, paten and flagon and a stand paten.