History
The church stands on an ancient site, but the oldest parts of the present church are the nave and the tower that were built in 1826–27. In 1917 the Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster architect Henry Paley of Sharpe, Paley and Austin#Austin and Paley, Austin and Paley prepared plans for a complete rebuilding of the church, but this was considered to be too expensive. Further plans were made that involved adding a polygonal chancel, removing the ceiling, opening the tower arch, inserting new windows, reseating the church, and carrying out a general restoration of the existing building. This was completed for the church's centenary at a cost of £5,708 (). In 1934 the same architect added an organ chamber and a new aisle at a cost of £666.Architecture
St Michael's is constructed in stone rubble with ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay (architecture), bay nave, a south porch, an apse, apsidal chancel, a south organ chamber with an aisle, and a west tower. The tower has diagonal buttresses, a two-light west window, straight-headed bell openings, and an battlement, embattled parapet. The nave windows have two-lights and straight heads, and contain English Gothic architecture#Decorated Gothic, Decorated tracery. The east window has five lights, and the window in the organ chamber has three lights. Inset into the wall of the inner entrance to the church is a Norman architecture, Norman tympanum (architecture), tympanum carved with runes, and the image of Christ and a cross. There are also damaged Norman capital (architecture), capitals built into the porch, and fragments of carved stones elsewhere inside the church. The octagonal baptismal font, font is England in the Middle Ages, medieval and is tulip-shaped. All the stained glass was made by James Powell and Sons, Powell. The two-manual (music), manual pipe organ was made by Jardine and Company of Manchester.External features
In the churchyard is a sundial listed at Grade II. It is dated 1680 and consists of an octagonal post on a square base with a square cap.See also
*Listed buildings in Pennington, Cumbria *List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)References
Bibliography * *External links