Stanton Harcourt - Church of St Michael

Church of St Michael Open daily, 8am-6pm.

The Church of St Michael dates from 1135, and the Norman nave and lower parts of the bell tower are 12th century.

This grand monastic church of which the first patrons were the Abbots of Reading Abbey, and the first vicar came before 1219, has a Mass Dial.

The Early English Rood Screen is said to be the oldest in England, and one of the panels has a painting of St Ethelreda or Audrey who was Abbess of Ely in the 7th century. The Shrine of St Edburga is in the sanctuary.

The fine church is Norman to Perpendicular with a very rare Early English screen, and the Harcourt Chapel has fine monuments, including one to the standard bearer of Henry VII. There are many memorials to the Harcourt family over 500 years, including Field Marshall William, third Earl of Harcourt whose statues stand in St Georges Chapel, Windsor and the Houses of Parliament respectively.

In the 13th century the chancel, chancel arch and tower arches were rebuilt and the transepts and stair turret were added. In the 15th century the upper part of the belltower was completed, the Perpendicular Gothic west window of the nave and north and south windows of the