#TheBestOfSalisburyToTheSea overthrows: #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #Thursgate #IronworkThursday #GloriousGateage

The Avon churches Salisbury to Christchurch #StPeterAndStPaulRingwood #StMichaelSopley #HolyTrinityChristchurch Follow: #SalisburyToTheSeaChurches (3/3)

And as #FontsMeanFarewell what of the church of #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire? Architecturally interesting and worth a visit. Mouse awarding four mus points on her new five mus heritage scale #MusVisit 🐭🐭🐭🐭

You should #AlwaysLookUp. Otherwise you would miss little #Spolia curiosities like this #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

One of those tantalising mid air doorways that hint at a long lost rood screen. This at #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire has a corbel below which would have supported the rood beam or the rood loft #AdoorableThursday

Fine metal gates and a solid overthrow welcome you to #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

"The Inevitable untidiness of chancel"

Chancel south wall with small eternal door (Mouse not know what this was for) and squint (hagioscope) in south transept wall. Usual mix of #ChurchClutter and #ChurchWiringNightmare present and correct as expected #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday

South elevation of chancel #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday showing relative positions of priest's door and small 'curious' door. With this mix and match of features from C13 to C15, no wonder this is such a #SurprisedChurch #FacePareidolia

Curious tiny door letting into the south-west elevation of the chancel #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday

Small monolithic chamfered pointed arch. The splay internally shows how thin the brick south wall is in comparison to the remaining rubble stone walls of the church

Priest's door south of chancel #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday

Chamfered pointed arch with chamfered pointed rere. Both arches were either originally badly carved, re-set or badly mutilated to accommodate a differently shaped door

Modern door in ancient doorway. North doorway leading from porch #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday

Rather clumsily carved pointed arch (C13) with segmental pointed or 4-centred rere arch interior (C15)

Entrance to north porch #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #AdoorableThursday

Cavetto (hollow moulded) pointed doorway

Lovely flowing foliate detail around the outer chamfer of the chancel arch which is in stark contrast to the brown and stolid mural. It's in the style of Romanesque decoration. Oh, Mouse wish #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WallsOnWednesday #WallpaintingWednesday

I am the Light... #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday

The diversity and age of roof structures in churches is another of the #ThingsMouseLove. This is the barrel-vaulted plastered roof of the chancel. Again, simple structures are intrinsically beautiful to Mouse #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #Woodensday

Pointed single lights set in segmental pointed rere oppose each other across the chancel. This to the south with delicate stained glass #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday

Three favourite windows from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday part III.

C14 4-centred pointed 3-light window with cusped lights and Perpendicular-style tracery. East of chancel.

Three favourite windows from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday part II.

Square (headed) 3-light window with cusped lights and indented spandrels. North of chancel

Three favourite windows from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday part I.

3-light. Stepped pointed lights. C14. East of north transept

Two #ThingsMouseLove; the simplicity of a well carved pointed arch and a good #ChurchWindow and when the two come together Mouse world is a wonderful place

South of chancel Cavetto moulded single pointed light #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #WindowsOnWednesday
Set in C17 handmade brick. English bond

Migrants from 'the other place' like Mouse seem to have brought their hashtags with them and it's a delight to see that #TraceryTuesday is a thing in the place were the Sky is always Blue because it gives a tag to this beautiful C15 4-light window on the south transept of #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

Sarcophagus paws and claws. What's not to love?
#StMichaelSopley #Hampshire #PawsNclaws

Wonderful double-decker chest tomb. The upper sarcophagus has paw and claw feet, perhaps symbolising the strength of the lost #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

Delightfully higgledy-piggledy and slightly overgrown church yard #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire dominated by a large chest tomb

The squat tower of #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire is almost lost, trapped between nave and aisles. the small recessed polygonal spire is only visible from a distance. Probably reduced in height at some stage

The tower of #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire is clasped by north and south aisles and sturdily buttressed

A few tidbits from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

North transept through particularly fine moulded pointed arch (C14)

A few tidbits from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire

One of a handful of fine memorial tablets

A few tidbits from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire.

Grotesque headstop to the stringer that runs around the north transept of #StMicharlSopley #Hampshire. The stringer is roll moulded with a slight keel. Close inspection suggests that these two elements belong together. Quite a find #MasonryMonday

A few tidbits from #StMichaelSopley #Hampshire. The north and south aisles of the church clasp the tower. Three bays of particularly fine double chamfered pointed arches on octagonal piers and responds with moulded imposts. Mouse also call this #MasonryMonday