Fig. 859.—St. Michael’s Parish Church. Choir.
The apse ([Fig. 861]), which is three-sided, is somewhat awkwardly fitted on to the choir, being formed like a large bow window, extending beyond the choir, from which it opens by a large semicircular arch in the east wall (see [Fig. 859]). This wall is continued upwards on the exterior, so as to form a gable, finished with crow-steps. The windows of the apse are large, and the tracery of two of the windows is perpendicular in character.
The transepts (or north and south chapels) and the south porch are constructed in a somewhat peculiar manner (see [Figs. 862] and [863]), having crow-stepped gables both on their outer walls and also over the inner or aisle wall which separates them from the church. The upper part of these structures does not thus interfere with the aisle roof, but stands apart from it, allowing the aisle roof and the clerestory to pass clear behind them. The north chapel, with its round turret (see [Fig. 862]), forms a very picturesque feature of the edifice. Each of these partly detached adjuncts contains an apartment over the vault (see [Fig. 856]). The chambers over the north transept and south porch are approached by turret stairs, while access to that over the south transept is obtained by passing along the gutter from the south porch and entering by a door in the inner gable. The room over the south porch seems to have been a place for preserving documents, there being three wall presses, one having had double doors. The light from the small oriel over the arch of the porch is not good. The room over the south transept is provided with a large fireplace, and may have been used as a kitchen; that over the north transept is empty and bare. The south porch, with its picturesque upper oriel and stair turret ([Fig. 863]), is a very interesting part of the edifice. The doorway has good mouldings and bold enrichment in the arch, and the corbelled oriel is a peculiar adjunct to the church. A similar one existed at St. Giles’, Edinburgh.
The parapet of the south aisle of the choir is provided with plain gargoyles ([Fig. 864]), twisted so as to throw the water off the windows; but that of the nave has no gargoyles, the water being removed by pipes. The cornice of the nave is also different from the rest of the building, and has the appearance of being a comparatively recent repair. This may have been executed at the same time as the repair of the tower (to be referred to). The junction of the different parts of the parapet and clerestory is seen in Figs. 860 and 864.
The forms of the buttresses are worthy of notice (see [Figs. 860] and [864]). Those of the nave have a simpler character than those of the apse and north transept. They are all well enriched with niches, having carved canopies and corbels, but those of the choir and north transept contain a more minute style of carving and ornament than those of the nave. The numerous set-offs of the buttresses of the apse (see [Fig. 861]),
