Bramcote
St Michael

Archaeology

The church was constructed on a new site 320 metres north of the old church. According to Sanderson's map of 1835 the site was agricultural land, lined with trees, prior to construction.

The plan comprises nave with south aisle and south porch, chancel with north vestry, south-west tower with spire, and modern extensions to the west and north-west forming meeting rooms and services.

The construction is largely of rock-faced ashlar on the visible areas, to the east, south, west, and tower exterior, and plain coursed rough ashlar to the north; the northern material includes blocks that appear to be reused and re-cut and may have been brought from the old chapel.

Reused window

Tower ladder

The interior of the tower appears to be all re-used medieval stone up to the spire level and includes a re-used and re-set trefoil-headed window, probably of 13th century date, in the west wall of the access ladder projection. Access is by a purpose-built vertical ladder of fixed iron rungs set into stonework and appears contemporary with the date of construction.

Technical Summary

Timbers and roofs

	NAVE	CHANCEL	TOWER
Main	Arched braces to stone wall brackets supporting close boarded arched ceiling, side purlins; braced collars and moulded raking struts above; trefoils in spandrils. All 1861.	Arched boarding in panels, moulded arched principal rafters onto stone brackets below decorative wall plates; all except east bay scissor braced above. All 1861.	Stone spire of 1861.
S.Aisle	Lean-to form with principal rafters and purlins onto decorative wall plate; moulded braces to aisle wall. All 1861.	n/a
N.Aisle	n/a	Vestry plain pitched with principal rafters. 1861.
Other principal
Other timbers			Belfry floor cross ties onto stone brackets, boarded above. 1861.

Bellframe

There are two bellframes:

Original wooden frame, now empty, 3-bay Elphick type Z, Pickford Group 6.A with no corner posts. 1861.

Present frame all steel, Pickford 8.2.A with braces bolted to cill and head. Taylors of Loughborough, 1999.

Old frame not scheduled for preservation Grade 4; later frame Grade 5.

Walls

	NAVE	CHANCEL	TOWER
Plaster covering & date	All plastered and painted 1861 and later	All plastered and painted 1861 and later	Open stonework
Potential for wall paintings	None evident, hidden stencil work a possibility.	None evident, hidden stencil work a possibility.	None.

Excavations and potential for survival of below-ground archaeology

There have been no known archaeological excavations.

The fabric of the entire building dates to 1860-1 and later although there is re-used medieval masonry and a window inside the tower, and probably also on the north side of the church, which may be from the old chapel. Prior to construction the site comprised an agricultural field.

The churchyard is triangular with the church positioned to the south. There are burials on all sides.

The overall potential for the survival of below-ground archaeology in the churchyard is considered to be LOW mainly comprising evidence from the 1860-1 building phase, and the C20th extension building work, although the archaeological potential for the field which preceded the church is UNKNOWN. Below the present interior floors of the church it is considered to be LOW comprising mainly stratigraphy from the 1860-1 construction. The archaeology of the upstanding fabric in the body of the church is largely of a single period, 1860-1 but with some reused medieval material; its archaeological potential as representative of this date is HIGH.

Exterior:Burials no earlier than 1862 and burial ceased in the 1970s

Interior: Stratigraphy almost exclusively 1860-1.