Milverton's spacious and imposing church befits this charming village, with its handsome Georgian houses built from the local red sandstone.
The church sits on a grassy hillock in the centre of the village, between the two main thoroughfares. Like the rest of the village, it is in red sandstone, with golden Ham stone dressings. The base of the tower dates from the 13th century, otherwise the building is all of the 14th and 15th centuries, except for the 19th century south aisle.
The interior has a surprising sense of spaciousness, although Pevsner records that 'the octagonal arcade piers do not give it enough weight or character'. You may or may not agree, but the real treasure of the church is its large collection of early 16th Century pews, with carved fronts, backs and bench-ends. These include a wide range of subjects, including profile portraits of a couple said to be Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, although my favourites include a magnificently rigged ship, and a man downing a pint of ale, holding an even larger flagon!
The later (20th Century) rood screen incorporates further mediaeval panels, one dated to 1540, so one assumes the bench ends may be of similar vintage. There is more contemporary carving in the choir stalls, depicting the 12 apostles, though these were probably recut in the 17th century. They quite overshadow the nearby Norman font, decorated with saltire crosses and cable mouldings.
The church is part of a larger benefice with regular services on the first, second and third Sundays of the month, and an active social life (details on Facebook). On our visit, we were warmly welcomed by one of the congregation, though sadly, despite her help, we were unable to locate the graves of my 18th and 19th Century ancestors who once worshipped here.
St Michael, St Michael's Hill, Milverton TA4 1LR
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