Parish church. C13 nave with west end rebuilt c.1500, south aisle rebuilt in early C14, and C15 tower. Chancel and north aisle rebuilt, vestry and porch added and whole restored in 1879 by Carpenter and Ingelow. Dressed red sandstone and red sandstone ashlar. Plain tile roof, separately over nave and aisles. 4-bay nave and aisles with south porch, 2-bay chancel with north vestry, and tower at west end of south aisle. 1879 work in an early Decorated style.

Tower: 2 stages externally. Moulded plinth, string course to north, diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets, moulded parapet with carved corner gargoyles, battlemented parapet with moulded coping and crocketed corner pinnacles, and weathervane. Louvred tall belfry openings of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with Y-tracery, chamfered reveals and hoodmould. Small chamfered rectangular openings below belfry to south and west. West window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with mullions continuing straight up into arch, chamfered reveals and hood- mould. Memorial inscription on wall to south: "Near this place lies the Body of/John Peel [Pool?] departed this Life January the - 177-." Weathering to south aisle. Clock below belfry opening to south. Nave: parapeted gable ends, with cross on apex to west. Circa 1500 square-headed west window of 3 trefoil-headed lights with chamfered reveals and carved stops. South aisle: chamfered plinth, buttress to right, and parapeted gable end to east with moulded kneelers and cross at apex. C14 windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights with Y-tracery and chamfered reveals. Continuously-moulded C14 south doorway to left with pair of C19 baize-covered doors. Circa 1879 gabled timber framed porch on chamfered sandstone plinth. Pointed-arched boarded door with strap hinges and returned hoodmould, 2-light leaded aide lights, moulded barge boards and cross at apex. 6-light side windows. Interior with arch-braced collar truss and side benches. East end of aisle: buttress to right. C14 window of 3 trefoiled ogee-headed lights, reticulated tracery and chamfered reveals. North aisle: parapeted gable ends with moulded kneelers and crosses at apices. Windows with 2 trefoiled ogee-headed lights and hoodmoulds with scrolled stops. Chamfered rectangular recess beneath second window from right. East end with chamfered round-arched window. West end: window with 2 trefoil-headed lights and hoodmould with scrolled stops. Chancel: chamfered plinth, moulded stone eaves, and parapeted gable end with moulded kneelers and cross at apex. South side: pair of windows, each of 2 trefoil-headed lights with moulded reveals and hoodmoulds with scrolled stops. Central reset C12 priest's doorway consisting of moulded round arch, C12 hoodmould with large scrolled stops and C19 boarded door with strap hinges. North side: central projecting gabled vestry with window consisting of 2 trefoiled ogee-headed lights and hoodmould with scrolled stops. Lean-to to right with stack. East end: window of 3 trefoil-headed lights with cill string stepped down to scrolled stops at ends, and hoodmould with scrolled stops. Flush flanking buttresses projecting at right angles.

INTERIOR: C13 four-bay nave arcades. South arcade consisting of circular piers with moulded bases and minimally-carved foliage capitals, and double-chamfered arches. Slightly later north arcade consisting of octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals (except for earlier half-round west respond). Double-chamfered tower arch with semi- octagonal shafts and hoodmould. C14 piscina in south aisle with crocketed nodding ogee (finial missing). Squint from south aisle to chancel. Windows and south door with chamfered rear arches (except for north aisle east window). Circa 1879 trussed rafter roofs to nave and aisles. C19 moulded tower arch with semi-octagonal piers and hoodmould. Trussed rafter chancel roof. Chancel windows with moulded rear arches, east window with cill string, nook shafts with moulded bases and capitals and hoodmould with scrolled stops. North vestry doorway with continuously moulded arch and boarded door with strap hinges. Priest's doorway with chamfered rear arch. Sedile beneath south- east window. Piscina with moulded trefoil arch and carved circular bowl. Fittings: all circa 1879, possibly by Carpenter and Inglenow. Integral stone reredos consisting of 5 stepped trefoil-arched panels and moulded cill. Brass and wood altar rails. Plain choir stalls. Low stone sanctuary wall with chamfered top. Integral polygonal stone pulpit with piered ogee- traceried panels and moulded top rail. Wrought-iron lectern. Octagonal stone font beneath tower with iron-bound wooden cover. Cast-iron spiral staircase beneath tower, formerly at the Wolverhampton Wholesale Market (1902-1973) and re-erected here in 1974. Stained glass: the Ascension in the east window. The Domesday Book mentions a priest at Child's Ercall. B.O.E., p.98; D.H.S. Cranage, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, part 8, pp. 686-8.

Listing NGR: SJ6655925087

Taken from CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, Child's Ercall - 1176104 | Historic England