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St Michael's Church in Cumnor consists of a chancel 16 ft. wide (average), a nave 48 ft. 6 in. by 22 ft. 6 in., a north aisle 11 ft. 6 in. wide, south transept 18 ft. by 24 ft. 6 in., west tower 15 ft. 6 in. square, and north porch. All the measurements are internal.

The west tower and the middle part of the south wall of the nave date from the close of the 12th century. In the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and the north aisle was added to the nave. In the 14th century the south transept was built, the south wall of the chancel largely reconstructed and the north aisle rebuilt. At the same time the western part of the south wall of the nave was reconstructed. The clearstory appears to be in part of the 14th century. The church has been extensively restored in modern times, and the north porch is modern, but represents an ancient feature.

The chancel has a three-light east window of the 14th century with net tracery. At the west end of the north wall is a round-headed window of lancet form, and to the east of it is a blocked doorway. The western part of the south wall has been reconstructed late in the 13th or early in the 14th century. It contains two two-light windows of that date, each with a quatrefoil in the head. The internal jambs in each case are modern. The 13th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous and the inner springing from rich corbels. The northern corbel has foliage and nail-head ornament, and the southern, in the form of a bell, is carved with foliage in knots. The arch is distorted, and may have been rebuilt.

The nave has a 13th-century north arcade of three bays with pointed arches of two chamfered orders. The two responds are square, with a moulding to the southern angle and moulded impost. The first pier is octagonal and the second circular, and both have moulded capitals and bases. In the south wall a moulded and pointed arch of the 14th century opens into the transept, the mouldings dying into the responds. Immediately to the west of the transept is a portion of the original late 12th-century walling with a corbel table of grotesque heads below the clearstory. Towards the west end of the wall is a tall late 13th or early 14th-century window of two transomed lights with a rear arch. The clearstory is finished with a plain parapet with moulded stringcourse ornamented with four-leaved flowers, and has four two-light windows on the north side; the eastern is of the 16th century, but the three western appear to be of the 14th century with ogee cinquefoiled lights under a square head. On the south side the clearstory has only two windows, both of two lights and square-headed. The parapet string to the east nave wall has a series of grotesque faces, and at the apex is an opening for a sanctus bell. The north aisle had an altar at the east end, with a pointed and moulded piscina with a traceried head in the east respond of the arcade. In the first and third bays of the north wall are two-light 14th-century windows with moulded rear arches. The pointed north door is of the same date. In the west wall is a two-light window similar to those on the north. The nave has a low-pitched tic-beam roof supported on curved struts against the wall, resting on stone corbels. The spandrels are pierced with quatrefoils. The aisle roof is in pent form with curved struts to the principals. The corbels, both here and in the main roof, are 12th-century grotesques, re-used, boldly carved in a great variety. The south transept has a 14th-century east window of two lights, and on either side of it are moulded brackets on head corbels, for images. High up behind the east respond of the arch, opening into the nave, is a doorway with a four-centred head, formerly communicating with the rood-loft. In the south end of the east wall is a fine pointed piscina with a pierced and traceried head and a sexfoil drain. The 14th-century south window is of three lights with net tracery, and the west window has diamond-shaped tracery, a moulded rear arch and an almost triangular head, all of the same period.

The fine late 12th-century tower is three stages high and is finished with a later embattled parapet. The north-west angle has an original clasping buttress, but the diagonal buttress at the south-west angle is probably of the 14th century. The tower arch is much restored. It is pointed and recessed in three moulded orders, and the three jamb-shafts on each side have original bases, but modern scalloped capitals. The west door has a semicircular arch of two orders, with side shafts having foliated capitals and square abaci. Above it is a single-light pointed window of circa 1200. The second stage is blank, but the belfry has two single-light pointed windows in the west, north and east faces and a single window at the south face, all with moulded external jambs and heads, and labels carried round the tower as a string-course. Above them is a corbel table resting on moulded corbels immediately below the parapet. The first stage of the tower is reached by a spiral oak staircase, standing clear, within the building, with a massive circular central newel, turned balusters and a moulded handrail. It bears the inscription 'T.B. G.N. 1685.'

The communion table, of the period of the Restoration, with turned legs, now stands at the end of the north aisle. The communion rails are of early 18thcentury date, with alternate twisted and fluted balusters. At the entrance to the chancel is another rail of circa 1600, with massive turned balusters. The quire stalls, of early 16th-century date, have panelled and buttressed fronts and a fine series of poppy heads to the bench ends. They include one bearing six shields with the emblems of the Passion, a second with two bearded human faces, a third with two chameleons back to back, and a fourth two grotesque heads, with standing figures of two seraphim, back to back, with six wings. The Jacobean pulpit is hexagonal and panelled, the outer panels being carved with conventional foliage. The clerk's desk is in a square pew inclosed with Jacobean panelling, the upper panels of which are richly ornamented with geometrical designs. The north door, of oak, is ancient, and retains its original iron hinges.

The most interesting monument in the church is that to Anthony Forster (d. 1572) and Ann (Williams) his wife. The monument stands on the north side of the altar, and consists of a Purbeck marble altar tomb of Gothic form, with panelled front, having brass coats of arms, a flat Gothic canopy with panelled soffit and a cresting of Tudor flower, and rests on four marble columns of the Ionic order. At the back, against the wall, are brass figures of a man in armour, his wife kneeling, their three sons, a long inscription, and three coats of arms. The central shield is a quartered coat of Forster with a martlet for difference; the first has the same coat impaling Williams quartering Moore and Fox, and the third the quartered coat of Williams. On the canopy are two shields of Forster and Williams, and at the base the same arms are repeated. Within the altar rails is a brass with the figures of a man and wife, commemorating Yedythe Staverton, daughter of Reynold Williams. Another small brass figure commemorates Katherine wife of Henry Staverton (d. 1577) with her son. On the south wall of the nave, is a brass inscription to James Welsh (d. 1612), and Margery Welsh (d. 1615). In the north aisle at the west end is a carved freestone statue of Queen Elizabeth, the head, right hand and sceptre being modern. It was originally at Dean Court, Cumnor, and has since stood at Hinksey and at Wytham Abbey. On the east respond of the south transept is a chained Bible, and in the western window of the north aisle is a roundel of ancient glass, probably Flemish. In the north-east part of the churchyard is an altar tomb to the Royalist, Lieut. William Godfrey, who died in 1694.

There are six bells: the tenor is inscribed 'God prosper the Church of England, Abraham Rudhall, 1711'; the second inscribed 'Let your hope be in the Lord, 1623, E.K.'; the third 'Henry Knight made mee 1620'; the fourth 'Edward Cooke Henry Taylor Churchwardens, H.K. 1621'; the fifth 'William Perry, George Godfrey, 1666'; the treble 'Henry Knight made mee ano 1617, T.B.I.P.' The ting-tang is uninscribed.

The plate includes two cups inscribed 'Cumner Hoc DDD Montague Comes de Abingdon, A.D. MDCCCX,' London, 1808, and a cup of London, 1570, silver-gilt, with chased ornament to bowl, and a cover paten of London, 1723.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms and marriages 1559 to 1682 (burials to 1681); (ii) mixed entries 1682 to 1755; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1802; (iv) baptisms and burials 1755 to 1808; (v) marriages 1802 to 1812; (vi) baptisms and burials 1809 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Lawrewnce's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Cumnor', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 398-405. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp398-405 [accessed 27 February 2023].

St. Lawrence's Church is a Grade I listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, Cumnor - 1048342 | Historic England

For more information about St. Lawrence's Church see Parishes: Cumnor | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).