Barford St. Michael Church

St Michael’s Church, South Newington Road, Barford St Michael

The 12th century church of St Michael is just beyond the village green.

The bell tower, north doorwell and font are Norman but much of the rest of the church was rebuilt in the 13th century in an early English style.

The porch on the north side of the building is decorated with Norman beakheads that look like the faces of wild animals.

The regular monthly pattern of services at St Michaels

First Sunday	Eucharist	10.30 am
Second Sunday	Family Service	10.30 am
Third Sunday	Morning Prayer	10.30 am
Fourth Sunday	Evensong	4.00 pm
If there is a fifth Sunday in the month, the service is at Barford St John.

Vicar – Rev’d  Nick Fielden Tel 01869 934794.  vicar@deddingtonchurch.org

Church Wardens – Sally Barber, Sue Addison both at barfordchurches234@gmail.com

More information from the Church of England website

The Norman North doorway of circa. 1150 is remarkable, having unusual proportions, tall and narrow, with a sharply arched head. The arch has mouldings decorated with beakheads and a zigzag pattern. The lintel has palmetto decoration, and the tympanum is filled with beaded interlace in a figure of eight.   The south doorway of the same date is less spectacular, with one order of zigzag and a plain Tympanum.

No other early details remain externally, except in the Norman tower in an unusual position south of the chancel. It has three stages, with small round-headed lancets on the first and second stages and Decorated and Perpendicular bell-openings.

A band of roll-moulding on the plinth is continues around the west wall, now inside the church. Therefore, this wall was once external, and the Norman church was aisle-less.

A plain Norman doorway in the north wall leads to the chancel.

In the 13th Century the church was remodelled and the south aisle built.

The arcade of the three unequal bays has double-chamfered arches, a rectangular pier of masonry to the west and a circular east pier with a moulded capital.  The chancel arch of the same date probably was widened at this time.

The responds retain Norman work, two shafts with scallop capitals and a band of palmetto decoration.  The west window is a plain 13 Century lancet. Other w^:indows are mostly circa 1300 with cusped Y tracery or plain intersecting tracery.  The east window is certainly not medieval, it may be Jacobean with four-centred head and tracery of three-foiled niches.

In the south aisle there is an Early English piscina under two trefoiled arches with a round central shaft.  There is a Decorated piscina in the chancel with a projecting bowl carried on a keeled half column.

Of interest is the 15th Century screen with Georgian doors.  The bench ends with fleur-de-lys poppyheads, in the chancel are also 15th Century.