Country Churches

93. St Mary's Michelmersh

This fine Early English 12th century church lies in the Test Valley a few miles north of Romsey. Its dominant feature is the detached wooden bell tower, the only one to be found in England. Probably built in the late 16th century it has three floors and contains three bells. Its huge scissor bracing timbers are covered with oak weather boarding.

The interior of the church has white washed walls and ceiling except for the chancel which has a 14th century timbered roof. To the left of the entrance door is the thirteenth century font of Purbeck limestone decorated with four heads. On the wall behind is an interesting memorial to Sir William Ogle, Viscount Caterlough who died in 1682. He commanded the Royalist forces in Winchester Castle during the Civil War. When forced to surrender by Oliver Cromwell in 1645, he and his officers, being unwilling to leave any of the wine behind, spent the night drinking. Next morning 700 men marched out led by Viscount Ogle 'drunk as a beggar'.

On the floor near the central aisle is a brass plate dedicated to John and Alice Wheable and their son John, who achieved the remarkable age of 107, born 1720 and dying in 1827. Surely he must be the oldest person to be commemorated in an English Church?

The chancel contains many interesting features, especially the 14th century crossed legged Crusader knight, possibly a member of the Hotet family. A small wall tablet above commemorates Master Tristram Fauntleroy one of Henry VIII's commissioners who died in 1538. The east window is Victorian placed there in 1894 in memory of Bishop Harold Brown of Winchester. It depicts the Adoration of Christ, the Crucifixion and the Agony in the Garden. A window in the south wall contains fragments of medieval glass showing a bishop, a bald headed man and a man in a tasselled cap. Nearer the nave is a window showing the 'M' symbol and the dates 985-1985 installed to commemorate the village millennium.

On the south wall is an 18th century memorial to the Rev Philip Baker who died in 1796. His son the Rev Charles Baker, a Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, died aged 25 in the same year. He is described as 'A young man of Genius and Erudition and Disposition most amiable who long drooped and languished under a severe and lingering illness and died with resignation'. Tucked away at the side of the organ is a 16th century coat of arms with three Turks heads, a crescent and three fleur de lys and on the opposite arch a medieval coffin lid. A George III Coat of Arms hangs at the west end and Jacobean panelling from the old gallery now lines the wall around the font.

One of the nicest features of the church was only unveiled in April 2000 in memory of Nancy and Walter Watkins. It consists of two plain glass windows in the south nave wall. They are beautifully engraved with the names of all incumbents beginning with Martin in 1212. Made by the Salisbury Glass Company it is a most artistic and imaginative memorial. Other modern features include the many embroidered kneelers and the Test Valley tapestry on the wall near the font. This shows Queen Emma granting estates to Michelmersh in 1043 and below the church and many of the village houses.

The field beyond the large churchyard is an historic site. On July 16 1415 668 knights and archers camped there and were reviewed by the Duke of Gloucester before setting sail for France to fight the Battle of Agincourt.

John Symonds