St Michael, Abington Pigotts, Cambridgeshire

I Location

Site Location
Abington Pigotts
National Grid Reference
TL 305 447
County
traditional: Cambridgeshire
now: Cambridgeshire
Diocese
medieval: not confirmed
now: Ely
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Michael
Type of building/monument
Parish Church

II General Description

Ext. general view from SE

Ext. general view from SE

Aisleless nave and chancel with W tower, all of flint with ashlar facings. The chancel has a N vestry and the S nave doorway has a porch. The N wall of the nave is cement-rendered. The fabric is 14–15thc., but the chancel was rebuilt in 1875. The only Romanesque sculpture is a fragment mortared onto the seat of the S porch, described below as a loose stone.

VI Loose Sculpture

(i) Jamb stone

Chevron jamb stone

Chevron jamb stone

In the S porch, a voussoir or (more probably) jamb stone decorated with chevron on two adjacent faces. Each face has two rows of point-to-point roll chevron separated by quirks. The angle between them is chamfered and decorated with concentric lozenges. The stone contains two units of chevron and two lozenges.

Dimensions

h. of block 0.24 m
w. of block 0.25 m
d. of block 0.17 m

VII History

In 1086 the king held half a hide pertaining to Litlington, and Alwine Coc the Beadle held another half virgate from the king, which pertained to Ickleton. The Bishop of Winchester held 2½ hides and half a virgate, which Hugh held from him. A further virgate was held by Earl Roger, and 1 hide and 1½ virgates was held by two knights from Hardwin de Scales. Finally Picot of Cambridge held half a virgate, which pertained to Guilden Morden. There is no mention of a church at that time.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

  • G. R. Bossier, Notes on the Cambridgeshire Churches. 1827, 38.
  • The Ecclesiastical and Architectural Topography of England: Cambridgeshire (Architectural Institute of Great Britain and Ireland), Oxford 1852, 116.
  • C. H. Evelyn-White, County Churches: Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. London 1911, 2-3.
  • F. S. L. Johnson, A Catalogue of Romanesque Sculpture in Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. M.Phil (London, Courtauld Institute), 1984, 210.
  • D. and S. Lysons, Magna Britannia. Cambridgeshire II, pt I, London 1808, 79-80.
  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Cambridgeshire, Harmondsworth 1954 (2nd ed. 1970), 291.
  • The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, VIII, 1982, 11.