History

The presence of a church in Steventon is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), but the existence of a place of worship in the village may well be much earlier.

The church's dedication is to St Michael and All Angels, which often indicates very early origins and, perhaps, even connections with Celtic Christianity, and the presence of an ancient yew tree in the churchyard is sometimes associated with pagan sites (the one here is thought to be 1,200 years old).

Steventon lay along the ancient route between Newbury and Oxford, and there is a mile-long ancient raised causeway, bordered by many existing fine mediaeval buildings. This may have been devised to provide a drier route for mediaeval traffic across marshy land, or as a dry path to the church on higher ground at the west end of the village. At the time it was constructed, the Manor was being administered as an outpost of the Abbey of Bec in Normandy by a Prior and one monk, living in the monastic grange; the present Priory Cottages at the corner of Mill Street and the Causeway. The original church of St Michael’s pre-dated this arrangement, and a priory church and associated buildings were never built. The last Prior left in 1379, in 1399 the manor was given to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, who have remained Patrons of the Living.

The church is unusual in that it has no chancel arch – the division between chancel and nave being marked by a break in the north wall. The trussed roof has curved ribs with interesting square bosses at intervals – including a carved mitre and queen’s head, a mermaid, a king’s head, and other subjects.

The earliest part of the church is a column by the incumbent’s stall, dating from the 13th century, but the general appearance is 14th century, which suggests that it was substantially rebuilt either when the Prior of Steventon was both Lord of the Manor and Rector of Steventon, or by a Sir Hugh Calveley who leased or owned the manor between 1361 and 1394 (and who paid for the refurbishment with profits from military campaigns). The fine stonework in the aisle windows and the great arch-braced roof, decorated with the fine series of carved bosses, dates from this period. The position of the tower is slightly unusual, on the south side of the nave, and combined with the porch. The south aisle is of 3½ bays, parallel to the chancel and the eastern part of the nave, having at its west end an arch into the bottom stage of the tower. The large windows at the east and west ends date from the early 15th century.

In the chancel, the trefoil-headed piscina has a bracket at the back and a large rose masking the drain.

There is an unusual 14th century double sedilia (stone seat) in the south side, which was abandoned by the mason with the decorative carving left unfinished.

The tower has a ring of six bells, originally hung in wooden frames, and a Sanctus bell. In 1552 the Commissioners’ Inventories record ‘Stevington: three belles in the stepulle: A small belle: Sacringe belle: A burying belle’. William Yare of Reading cast the fourth and tenor bells in 1613. Henry I Knight, also of Reading, cast the second bell in 1617. Ellis II Knight and Henry III Knight cast the treble bell in 1674. William Taylor of Loughborough cast the third and fifth bells in 1849, presumably at their Oxford foundry. Rather unusually, the main entrance to the church is through the ground floor of the tower, which also serves as the ringing chamber, with three bell-ropes on either side of the entrance. New members joining the bellringing team are very welcome.

The furnishings in the chancel are 19th century, while some of the carved woodwork and pew ends in the nave are from the 15th and early 16th centuries. The original stained glass was sold to Bryant Barrett, the owner of Milton Manor, in 1772, for a considerable sum, and can still be seen in the chapel there. The large east window now has glass by Warrington (1833) depicting the seven Archangels, and the ten occasions on which angels are mentioned in the bible. Among other interesting features are the handsome Jacobean wooden pulpit, and an alms-box dated 1633, with three compartments and three locks. There are also two brasses – one commemorating Richard Do (died 1476) and his two wives, and the other dedicated to Edward Wiseman, his wife (died 1584) and their eight children.