St Michaels & All Angels

Urchfont

Wiltshire

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St Michaels and All Angels in Urchfont, Gloucestershire has been used as a centre for Christian worship for over 650 years and continues to be an important and integral part of the local community.

St Michael & All Angels Church Lane Urchfont Wiltshire SN10 4QP Usually open to visitors Parking on roadside close to entrance

MAIN FEATURES OF INTEREST

v Font dated 1220

v Ancient Elizabethan Chest

v Corpus Christie Chapel

v Built In The 11th Century

v Tower dating from the late fifteenth century

HISTORY

There has been a church on this spot in Urchfont for many hundreds of years. The oldest part of the current church being the chancel arch which dates back to c.1220. Above this is an unplastered area where very faint traces of an ancient wall painting can still been seen. Another reminder of the past are fragments of medieval floor tiles which were discovered in the church during restorations carried out in 1900. A number of these are on view at the west end of the north aisle, see images below. The remainder of the chancel dates back to the 14th century when a fine vaulted ceiling was added complete with many carved stone bosses. There include carvings of St Michael, Abraham, a pelican in her piety and a mermaid. These can be seen below. Beneath the chancel is an ancient burial crypt which was bricked closed many years ago and is no longer accessible.

IMAGES

	Font dating back to 1220 is one of the oldest parts of the church and would have previously been located n an older building that the present church. The heavy wooden cover was made in 1900.		View of the nave looking towards the east end and the chancel.		Fragments of medieval floor tiles can be found at the west end of the north aisle. Forty such fragments were found within the church during restorations in 1900
	The James Long monument at the site where an altar would have previously stood in the south transept.		The chancel ceiling with its multiple bosses.

BOSSES & STONEWORK

	Boss featuring The Piety of the Pelican who is feeding her young with blood from her breast		One of the many ceiling bosses from the chancel. This one features Abraham astride a ram and is a reference to Genesis Chapter 22 when he was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.		Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring St Michael with lance killing a dragon
	Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring a mermaid which represents the alure of the flesh		Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring two dragons or serpents which were meant to represent evil
	This stone carving thought to be of King Alfred sits at the side of the south door in the entrance porch. Opposite sits a similar queen thought to be Queen Ahlswith. The porch was completed in 1430		This stone carving thought to be of  Queen Ahlswith, sits opposite the above carving in the entrance porch

MONUMENTS & MEMORIALS

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

	This window features the resurrection of Christ and the meeting with Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane		This window commemorates a 12 year old boy who died in 1852. The window os Nain is depicted from Luke, "Weep Not" and Christ with a child "Suffer Little Children" from Mark Chapter 10.		This window has a top angel with a banner "Resurrectio et vita ( Ressurection In Life) and features Christ and Jairus' daughter from Mark Chapter 5. With below Lazarus in grave clothes from John Chapter 11. It remembers the death of a child
	This window features the resurrection of Christ and the meeting with Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane from Luke Chapter 24				The left upper pane features Abraham, Issac and a ram caught in a thicket, from Genesis. Notice also in the bottom left of the same panel preparations for the burnt offering, the flames and smoke. The right panel shows the Crucifixion.
				The Great East Window with the disciples either side of the Ascending Christ

REFERENCES

v Church website can be found HERE

v Wiltshire History HERE

v Church Guide available in the church "A History of the Church"  Price £4 a time of visit in the summer of 2011