St Michael and All Angels Church, Brownsover
Encyclopedia
St Michael and All Angels Church, Brownsover, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the former village of Brownsover
, which is now a suburb of the town of Rugby
, Warwickshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
to the parish
of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore
. Windows were added to the church later in the same century, and more were added in the following two centuries. After the Reformation
, buttress
es and a west porch were added. In 1876 the church was restored
by Sir George Gilbert Scott
for Allesley Boughton-Leigh of nearby Brownsover Hall
. The restoration amounted almost to a rebuilding of the church, but it was done in a sympathetic manner. In the early 20th century, new stained glass was inserted in the east window. The church was declared redundant on 10 February 1987 and became vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust.
dressings. The roof is in clay tiles. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
with a smaller chancel
. The nave measures 30 feet (9.1 m) by 24 in 9 in (7.54 m), and the chancel 19 in 6 in (5.94 m) by 13 in 3 in (4.04 m). There is a small brick extension at the northeast corner between the nave and the chancel. The west end is gable
d with diagonal buttresses and a string course. The church is entered by a west doorway with a pointed arch, on each side of which are two-light windows. Above these windows are smaller single-light windows, and between them is a gabled bracket holding a bell. There are two two-light windows on the north and south sides of the nave, with a buttress between them. There is a lancet window
in the east wall of the nave. The chancel has diagonal buttresses, and a three-light east window. On its north side is a paired lancet window, and on the south is a similar window plus a single lancet.
ed. It is floored with 19th-century polychrome tiles. In the south wall is a piscina
. The font
is circular and dates from the 13th century. The east window contains 20th-century stained glass commemorating Lawrence Sheriff
, the founder of Rugby School
. All the other windows contain plain glass. In the church is a rectangular wooden screen dating from the 15th century and later. The wooden pulpit
is Flemish, dating from the 18th century, and is set into the east wall of the nave. The organ case is German and highly decorated. It was made in 1660, originally for St John's College, Cambridge
, and was moved here in the late 19th century. The single-manual
organ was built in 1876 by the Bryceson Brothers
.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the former village of Brownsover
Brownsover
Brownsover is a small village about 1½ miles north of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Since 1960, it has been further absorbed by the suburban expansion of Rugby.-'Old' Brownsover:...
, which is now a suburb of the town of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
History
St Michael's originated in the 13th century as a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore
Clifton-upon-Dunsmore
Clifton-upon-Dunsmore is a village and civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire in England.-Location:Clifton bears the distinction of being the most easterly village in Warwickshire . It is located roughly a mile east of Rugby, and is effectively a suburb of the town, although separated by...
. Windows were added to the church later in the same century, and more were added in the following two centuries. After the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and a west porch were added. In 1876 the church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
for Allesley Boughton-Leigh of nearby Brownsover Hall
Brownsover Hall
Brownsover Hall is a 19th century mansion house in the old village of Brownsover, Rugby, Warwickshire which has been converted for use as a hotel. It is a Grade II listed building.-Early History :...
. The restoration amounted almost to a rebuilding of the church, but it was done in a sympathetic manner. In the early 20th century, new stained glass was inserted in the east window. The church was declared redundant on 10 February 1987 and became vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust.
Exterior
The church is constructed in cream-coloured stone, with reddish-brown freestoneFreestone
A freestone is a stone used in masonry for molding, tracery and other replication work required to be worked with the chisel. The freestone must be fine-grained, uniform and soft enough to be cut easily without shattering or splitting. Some sources say that the stone has no grain, but this is...
dressings. The roof is in clay tiles. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a smaller chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The nave measures 30 feet (9.1 m) by 24 in 9 in (7.54 m), and the chancel 19 in 6 in (5.94 m) by 13 in 3 in (4.04 m). There is a small brick extension at the northeast corner between the nave and the chancel. The west end is gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d with diagonal buttresses and a string course. The church is entered by a west doorway with a pointed arch, on each side of which are two-light windows. Above these windows are smaller single-light windows, and between them is a gabled bracket holding a bell. There are two two-light windows on the north and south sides of the nave, with a buttress between them. There is a lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
in the east wall of the nave. The chancel has diagonal buttresses, and a three-light east window. On its north side is a paired lancet window, and on the south is a similar window plus a single lancet.
Interior
The interior is mainly plastered and whitewashWhitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed. It is floored with 19th-century polychrome tiles. In the south wall is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is circular and dates from the 13th century. The east window contains 20th-century stained glass commemorating Lawrence Sheriff
Lawrence Sheriff
Lawrence Sheriff was an Elizabethan gentleman and grocer to Elizabeth I who founded Rugby School.Not much is known about Lawrence Sheriff's early life, but it thought that he was born near St. Andrew's Church in Rugby, Warwickshire...
, the founder of Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. All the other windows contain plain glass. In the church is a rectangular wooden screen dating from the 15th century and later. The wooden pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is Flemish, dating from the 18th century, and is set into the east wall of the nave. The organ case is German and highly decorated. It was made in 1660, originally for St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, and was moved here in the late 19th century. The single-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was built in 1876 by the Bryceson Brothers
Henry Bryceson
Henry Bryceson was a pioneer of electric action in England during the 1860s.Henry was born in PerthHenry Bryceson founded a firm variously known as Bryceson Brothers, Bryceson and Bryceson, and Bryceson and Son in 1796. The firm produced both barrel organs and pipe organs. An example of his work...
.