St Michael's Church, Upton Cressett

St Michael’s Church stands on a quiet hillside near Upton Cressett Hall, five kilometres west of Bridgnorth in Shropshire. Built of local stone with tiled roofs, it is a small, simple church first put up in the 12th century. A north aisle was added in the 13th century but has since been removed. A south chapel was added later, probably in the 14th century, and a timber-framed porch was built on the south side in the late medieval period. The church was declared redundant in 1970 and taken into care by the Churches Conservation Trust two years later. Inside, the church still shows its Norman origins. The chancel arch, described by architectural historians John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner as its finest Norman feature, has three orders of shafts and chevron decoration. The south doorway also carries chevron carving on its arch, and the Norman font survives near the west end. The east window was rebuilt as a lancet in the 13th century, and on the west wall of the chapel a painting from about 1200 depicts an enthroned king surrounded by foliage scroll-work. Outside, the church’s weatherboarded bellcote with its short lead-covered spire rises above the nave roof. The arcade of the demolished north aisle can still be seen on the exterior, marking the church’s earlier plan. The quiet hillside setting, shared with Upton Cressett Hall, gives the place a peaceful air, and the Grade I listing recognises its importance as a well-preserved example of Norman church architecture.