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St Michael's Church, Llanmihangel

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NPRN161
Map ReferenceSS97SE
Grid ReferenceSS9813571887
Unitary (Local) AuthorityThe Vale of Glamorgan
Old CountyGlamorgan
CommunityLlandow
Type Of SiteCHURCH
PeriodPost Medieval
Description
Constructed in the thirteenth century and dedicated the St Michael and All Angels, Llanmihangel Church is first mentioned in 1254 when it was noted that it was valued at four marks. In the sixteenth century, it reportedly persisted in performing Roman Catholic rites for longer than other churches in the area. It underwent restoration in 1888?9 to the plans of F. R. Kempson, the diocesan architect, funded in part by donations from Lord Dunraven. In 1920, it was joined with Llanmaes church (NPRN 310431) to form one benefice. There is a churchyard cross (NPRN 307607) within the churchyard, albeit likely not in its original position, as well as a holy well (NPNR 307609) immediately north west of the churchyard.

The church is constructed of uncoursed rubblestone and consists if a nave, a stepped-down narrower chancel, a fifteenth-century tower to the west and a nineteenth-century porch to the south. The nave and chancel are roofed with slate with cross finials to their eastern gable ends. The nave has an octagonal shafted chimney at the north-east corner. The chancel has a large perpendicular-style eastern window. There is also a sixteenth-century-style window in the north wall of the chancel, likely formerly the eastern window, moved during the 1888?9 restoration. The fortifiable tower has a saddle-back roof above corbel table, below which louvered windows face all four directions. The western and southern walls of the tower have large arrow loops. A staircase turret designed by E. Jenkin Williams of Cardiff with an octagonal shafted chimney, lit by an arrow loop above a trefoil window to the north, was added in 1910, before which the tower was accessed by an external ladder. The southern porch has an obtusely pointed chamfered inner doorway set within a shallow square embrasure, possibly indicated that an earlier perpendicular-style door with a square-headed doorcase has been replaced.

Inside, the nave has a fifteenth-century roof, arch-braced with two-tiers of curved windbraces and a collar purlin, the principal rafters on large corbels, while the chancel has an oak wagon roof. The chancel arch is round-headed, rendered and plain, and flanked by corbels which show the original eaves height of the church. On the north wall of the nave there are four corbels with grotesque heads, while the other corbels are decorated with small shields, each with a cross. The thirteenth-century font to the north side of the nave has a square bowel with chamfered angels on a circular stem. There is also a Norman pillar piscina with a cushion capital built into the southern wall of the chancel. The church contains several notable memorials including the late sixteenth-century grave of Grifithe Grante, a tomb-chest with an effigy of the upper part of a praying figure wearing a ruff, the lower part obscured by a cross, which was previously outside of the church. The southern wall of the chancel displays a classical-style monument to Sir Humphrey Edwin (d.1717) and his wife. Another, later-eighteenth-century classical-style monument of lesser quality on the opposite wall commemorates Charles and Charlotte Edwin. The vault of the Edwins, where Sir Humphrey is buried, is under the communion table, but was infilled after an accident.

(Sources: Geoffrey R. Orrin, Medieval Churches of the Vale of Glamorgan (Cowbridge: D. Brown and Sons Limited, 1988), pp. 221?26; John Newman, The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1995), pp. 392?93; E. M. Evans (GGAT), `Glamorgan Historic Churches Survey. Churches in the Archdeaconry of Llandaff, Deanery of Llantwit Major and Cowbridge? (Cadw Welsh Historic Churches Project, April 1999), entry s0282 (See also GGAT HER for PRN 00282s); Cadw Listed Building Description, Ref No 13141;
A.N. Coward, RCAHMW, 08.04.2019