St Michael and All Angels Church, Newtown, United Kingdom

St Michael's Church is the parish church of Kerry, in the historic county of Montgomeryshire, now Powys. There may have been a church on the site since the 7th century. The new church in 1176 was built of stone, the only trace today being the remnants of the nave arcades. With its north and south aisles and perhaps a small chancel occupying what is now the east end of the nave, it was a building of some size and presumably importance.

The four Norman arcades with cylindrical columns joined by chamfered rounded arches are possibly the most interesting feature of the church. They are likely to be from the church which was re-dedicated by Gerald of Wales in 1176.

The nave and aisle have fine 15th-century roofs. The nave has four arch-braced principals or composite cruces and the roof has been strengthened by a triangular truss one third of the way down the nave. The massive beam of this truss has a decorative mould which is likely to be early 16th-century and may represent a strengthening of the structure at the same time as the campanile was placed on the tower. The three tiers of quatrefoils roof wind-braces are likely to belong to the Victorian restoration. In the north aisle, there are arch-braced principals with foiled apex struts and two tiers of decorative wind-braces.

Kerry has a stone-built church tower with a timber capping characteristic of many Border churches. The tower houses 3 bells.

The chancel wagon roof was replaced in 1883 and consists of 18 close-set arch-braced trusses springing from wall-plates with trefoil-headed panels. The section over the altar is a restored medieval canopy with moulded arch braces and four purlins. The bosses have been recently re-gilded.

The pulpit is Victorian, with fragments from the 15th-century screen. The chancel screen and lectern date from the restoration of 1883. The stained-glass east window of the Resurrection is by Charles Eamer Kempe of 1871. The churchyard contains war graves of four British soldiers of World War I.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Paul Snook (6 years ago)
St Michael's church bell tower dominates the Kerry town skyline. The tower is a large stone structure with a short squat timber roof, it dates back to Norman times. The church is well worth a visit, we were told the keys are available at the nearby vicarage.

Grace Markham (6 years ago)
Gorgeous old church. If you're in the area. Worth a visit. don't forget to leave a donation to keep the historical site maintained for future enjoyment

Eliot Collins (7 years ago)
It is thought that the original church was built on this site in the 7th century, the rebuilt and rededicated in the early 12th century. However all that remains of that structure is the North aisle. The church has a double nave, the south section built in 1882. The typical, Montgomeryshire style timber framed belfry tops the tower. The nave roof and central columns make this church historically and architecturally very interesting. There are a couple of shallow steps just inside the door into the church. Whilst they may not cause an issue for access, it's better to be forewarned.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

St Michael and All Angels Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople