I Location

Site Location
Whichford
National Grid Reference
SP 312 347
County
traditional: Warwickshire
now: Warwickshire
Diocese
medieval: Worcestershire
now: Coventry
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Michael
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Church Plan

Church Plan

Originally 12thc., with some of the original fabric still visible, the church has a 13thc. N aisle and 14thc. S chapel and chancel and an early 14thc. NW tower. 12thc. sculpture is found on the S doorway.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) S doorway, nave

S doorway, general view

S doorway, general view

S doorway, L capital

S doorway, L capital

S doorway, R capital

S doorway, R capital

S doorway, arch, R side

S doorway, arch, R side

S doorway, tympanum

S doorway, tympanum

Round-headed, of one order, with a tympanum. Of yellowish local stone. Protected by a porch.

Dimensions
w. of opening 1.12
h. of opening

Tympanum

Framed by various decorative motifs but plain in the centre.

A roll runs along the bottom edge of the tympanum and above this is a row of 16 saltire crosses. Around the head are two bands of ornament. The first band consists of, from L, nailhead (15), followed by saw tooth ornament (23 triangles), and then more nailhead (12). The second band of ornament is a double cable in which the strands mirror each other. The saltire crosses of the bottom edge of the tympanum are contained within the decoration of the head.

First order

Plain round bases with a torus supporting detached nook shafts. The capitals are integral with the jambs.

L capital: Block capital with plain roll necking. A double cable moulding with mirroring strands lies along the angle and terminates in a volute. On S and E faces of the capital, large three-lobed leaves, the lowermost lobe voluted, extend toward the angle accompanied by rows of beading.

R capital: Cushion capital with plain roll necking, with a tapering strand of cable moulding along the angle. The division between cone and shield is emphasised by a band of beading. The shields are carved with chip-carved crosses with small beads in the interstices.

The imposts are chamfered with a double incised line along the upright and extend to just beyond the label.

The arch is carved with two rows of centrifugal chevron carved lateral to the face, with a serrated edge and of the profile roll, hollow. The voussoirs decrease in size toward the apex.

The label is hollow-chamfered with a row of widely-spaced round billet ornament along the chamfered surface, followed by a double row of small square billets.

VII History

No mention in DS. The church was given to Bridlington by the daughter of the founder of that Priory, but it was nevertheless with the manor at the end of the 13thc., and descended with the manor.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

  • Pevsner and Wedgewood, 470
  • VCH 5:206