St Michael's Church, Burwell

The church is constructed in green sandstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings, and some red brick. The roofs are lead with some slate. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave with a south porch, a chancel and a west tower. The tower is in three stages on a plinth, with buttresses. Above the southwest buttress is a sundial. On the west side is a doorway, over which is a three-light window extending from the bottom to the middle stage. Above this window is a clock face. On the south side of the middle stage is a small lancet window. In the top stage there are bell openings on all sides. While most of the tower is built in stone, part of the top stage and the parapet are in brick. The top of the tower is battlemented with stone copings. The upper parts of the nave walls are also in brick. In the north wall is a 15th-century rectangular three-light window, and a 20th-century two-light casement window. There is a single lancet window in the north wall of the chancel, and the east window has three lights. In the south wall of the chancel is a rectangular three-light window. Set against the wall beneath this is a table tomb dating from the late 18th century, carved with a skull and laurels. Along the south walls of the nave are two buttresses and four blocked arcades, the two towards the east being larger than the other two. The larger two arcades each contains a three-light window, and against the smaller arcades is a gabled porch.[1]

The tower arch dates from the 15th century and has a pointed head.[1] The chancel arch is Norman,[2] and has a semicircular head. The capitals are carved, on one side with dancing stags, and on the other with volutes.[1] Above the chancel arch is the fragment of a wall painting depicting a crowned head and the initial "M".[1] It has been suggested that this represents either Queen Maud, or Margaret of Navarre.[4] In the roof of the tower are carvings of three elongated wingless angels. The oak altar rail dates from the late 19th century, and is ornately carved with grapes and vine leaves. The reredos is also from the 19th century and consists of five arched panels containing tracery. The 15th-century font is octagonal and is carved with shields in panels. The pine pulpit is from the 17th century. Dating from the 19th century are the pews, a dado rail, and a piscina. In the church are a number of memorials. One of these, dated 1674, is in marble and includes a segmental pediment and carved festoons, a cartouche, cherubs and drapery. There are further marble memorials dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.[1]