St Michael's Church, Aughton 2.54

St Michael's Church is in Church Lane, Aughton, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ormskirk, the archdeaconry of Wigan & West Lancashire, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its benefice is united with that of Holy Trinity, Bickerstaffe. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.HistoryThe oldest fabric in the church is a blocked Norman doorway, and an adjacent section of the wall. The nave and steeple date from the 14th century, and a chancel was present in the 15th century. In about 1545–48 the north aisle was rebuilt, replacing an earlier, narrower aisle. The church was restored in 1876 by W. and J. Hey, during which the chancel and the west windows of the nave and aisle were rebuilt. There was a further restoration in 1913–14 when the north vestry was enlarged.ArchitectureExteriorThe church is constructed in local grey-brown sandstone, with stone slate roofs. Its plan consists of a nave with a south porch, a north aisle of similar width to the nave, a chancel with a north chapel and a vestry to the north of that, and a steeple in the east angle between the nave and the aisle. The tower broaches to an octagonal bell stage, and this is surmounted by a spire. The window at the west end of the nave and of the aisle each has four lights. In the south wall of the nave are three two-light windows and one window with three lights. To the east of the porch is a blocked Norman doorway, which is partly hidden by a buttress. There are three three-light windows in the south wall of the chancel, and at the east end of the chancel is a five-light window. The east end of the chapel contains a three-light window, with another three-light window above it. Along the wall of the aisle are four three-light windows, and there is a two-light window on the north side of the tower.