Church Heritage Record 607017

Nave, chancel, west tower, north aisle, south porch and north vestry.

Nave and chancel together approximately 30m x 7m (98ft x 23ft).

There has been a church on this site since Norman times and the structure today dates predominantly from this period together with later work in the 14th century when the north aisle was added.  Some additional work was carried out in the 17th century under the direction of the Revd Thomas Machell including the provision of some of the furnishings which remain today. Machell was praised by Bishop Nicholson in 1703 for keeping the church in the best repair of any in the Diocese. Machell was described as ‘The father of all Westmorland and Cumberland antiquaries’ and was a good friend of Dugdale. He was responsible for preserving the parish records from such an early date.

There is considerable archaeological interest in Kirkby Thore itself, which contains the site of the Roman fort Bravoniacum and the start of an important Roman road up to Hadrian's wall which passes close by the Church on its north side. In setting foundations for the new buttress during the recent restoration work, two grave pits were opened close against the south wall of the Church - probably medieval - one containing a large empty stone cist, the other a number of disturbed human skeletons, which were subsequently reburied in the churchyard.

St Michael’s church and its red sandstone walls manages to be both warm and welcoming as you approach from the south; a comfortable looking building with no sense of pretension. The tower is Norman in origin, of three simple stages and solid and squat in appearance. The uppermost stage is a crenellated parapet (pinnacles now lost) which was added in the 16th century, on the east face a small gabled bellcote was added in the next century with two openings. The Wharton arms is apparently on the south face of the parapet but this must be now much weathered.  Below the parapet on all sides there are small louvred openings of two lights which date to the 14th century. Apart from the south elevation the openings each have cusped heads whereas the north has a rectangular head. Further below the louvred openings on the north and west faces are two smaller rectangular light openings for the stairwell. The south face has a large black and gold clockface.

The lowest stage of the west face has a small 14th century two-light window under a pointed arch with cusped lights and a quatrefoil above. The window sits above a blocked doorway which is narrower than it and appears to be a relatively recent infilling. The south elevation has two 14th century buttresses; a diagonal at the west corner and a single large angle buttress hard against the junction with the nave. Both have several graduated weatherings. On the south wall of the tower there are two masons markings.

The nave and chancel are under one continuous roof although the chancel eaves are slightly higher on the south side, marking the change. The porch is of the 14th century and is comparatively large in size with a wide pitched roof. There are no windows and the main entrance is a simple pointed arch now furnished with an iron gate and a lantern hanging overhead. A weathered stub at the top of the gable indicates a previous cross finial. To the south of the entrance leans a large weathered tombstone no longer legible although Bellasis records that this was to the Reverend Jonathan Sewel, incumbent of Temple Sowerby and Soulby Chapels who died in 1803 and also to other members of his family. 

On the south wall of the nave, now squashed between the porch and the tower buttress is a small lancet window of the 13th century.  To the north of the porch the nave has two similar late 14th century square headed two-light windows with cusped lights and hoodmoulds over.  There are other leaning tombstones along the south wall and chancel which are all illegible.

The north elevation of the nave is quite different with a long catslide roof to the aisle which is entirely 14th century save for modern alterations to some of the windows. There were four openings along the west wall, the westernmost (a single light) is blocked and the next two are modern copies of those seen in the south wall, that is - two cusped lights with a square hoodmould over. The easternmost is similar in style but perhaps the remaining original together with that in the east wall which is the same window again but set higher in the wall. The west wall of the aisle mimics the east end but here with a modern opening.

The chancel has seen perhaps the most changes here at Kirkby Thore and now bears the very visible scars of changes in style. The south elevation shows the chancel is a fraction narrower than the nave and a small weathering tops the juncture where the nave wall shortens and leans against the chancel.  Immediately to the north there is a wide blocked doorway with a square head; a small coat of arms is set into the infill. The only remaining window in the south wall is a wide two-light Decorated window with cusped lights and a large trefoil above. The arch is pointed with a slight hood mould but the whole is set into the remains of a Norman arch, breaking through it at the top. A buttress with three weatherings and a gablet top divides the remainder of the chancel which has a further two blocked windows: a 14th century square head with the hoodmould still distinct and just to the west of this the partial remains of a single lancet, perhaps 13th century.

A deep groove running along the north and south sides of the chancel one course below the eaves indicates an earlier wall plate.

The north side of the chancel has a small modern vestry with a lean-to roof and a small chimney at the eastern corner; there is a pair of lancet windows in the north and a doorway to the west. The north wall of the chancel has a 14th century window in much the same style as those seen in the aisle albeit somewhat smaller. Between this and the vestry there is a small blocked priest’s door with a pointed arch and the remains of the hoodmould.

The east wall of the chancel has seen at least three windows in its time. The existing opening is a pointed arch with hoodmould over a three-light with three quatrefoils in the tracery all in the Decorated style. Heelis reports that this window was put in in 1850 and replaced an identical ancient one. Around and below the existing can be seen the faint remains of a three light 13th century window which would have likely been a simple lancet design.

Moving inside, the church is decorated in pale colours with a green carpet and ceiling which comprises a four bay hammer-beam roof to both the nave and chancel. There is dark stained wainscoting around most of the interior.

The nave and aisle are pewed throughout with pine pews which were introduced in 1850.  Between the aisle and nave there is a late 13th century two bay arcade with pointed arches of two chamfered orders and carved headstops. The single pier is quatrefoil on plan with fillets running down each shaft and has moulded capitals and base. The responds have in effect one shaft each similar to a quarter of the central pier. At the eastern end of the arcade there is a small section of wall which has a small pointed arch cut through giving an opening between the nave and aisle. The aisle has the organ at the west end and an open area at the east with benches around the walls.

The tower arch is low and pointed with two chamfered orders and carved headstops, set within this are Norman imposts and plain responds. The north west corner of the tower is divided for the stairwell; against the west wall there is the remnants of a Roman tombstone and underneath the window there is a recess where there once was a door.

The chancel arch is a steeper and taller arch than the tower and belongs to one of the more recent Victorian restorations again with headstops. The same are found after the moulds on both the vestry door and the east window. There is a well preserved piscina on the south wall of the chancel. There are various shields set against the chancel wall.