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St. Michael's Church in Blewbury consists of a chancel 25 ft. 4 in. by 15 ft. 6 in., south chapel 22 ft. 9 in. by 12 ft. 10 in., north transept 15 ft. by 11 ft., south transept 15 ft. 7 in. by 11 ft. 8 in., nave 51 ft. 7 in. by 19 ft. 3 in., north aisle 28 ft. 9 in. by 11 ft. 4 in., south aisle 48 ft. 3 in. by 11 ft. 2 in., west tower 14 ft. 10 in. square, a timber south porch, and a modern north porch of stone. These measurements are all internal.

The nave dates in part from the early years of the 12th century, while the chancel, which still retains its original stone groined roof, appears to be a rebuilding of about fifty years later. Towards the close of the same century the building was enlarged by the erection of north and south transepts and a central tower within the chancel, occupying the western bay and contracting its width at this end. Early in the 13th century the south aisle was added and the south arcade of the have formed. This appears to have been done in two consecutive portions, executed at no great distance of time, as there is a marked difference between the eastern and western bays, though the character of the mouldings in both cases indicates an early 13th-century origin. Later in the same century a south chapel was added to the chancel, but only the arcade survives, the east and south walls having been rebuilt about the middle of the 14th century, when the north aisle was added to the nave. In the first half of the 15th century the south aisle was widened and the present west tower was built, the upper stages of the central tower, which is now invisible externally, being demolished.

The east window of the chancel is a late 14th-century insertion of three cinquefoiled lights with flowing tracery in a two-centred head having an external label with carved stops. Below the sill is a late 12th-century round-headed aumbry with a rebated opening, and in the gable above, visible only externally, is a circular window of original date with the chancel, lighting the high-pitched roof. A stringcourse of the same date is stopped against the label of the east window, the head of which breaks through it.

The easternmost window in the north wall has a semicircular head with wide internal jambs and, with the exception of the circular light in the east gable above mentioned, is the only original window remaining in the chancel. A string course, which also forms the abaci of the vaulting corbels, meets the jambs at about one-third of their height and breaks down to the sill level. Next to the westward is a 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights, with flowing tracery in a two-centred head having an external label with head-stops. The 13th-century arcade opening into the south chapel is of two bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous and the inner carried by semicircular attached shafts with moulded bell capitals and moulded bases raised on a plinth with a chamfered capping; in the eastern bay this is carried across the archway and forms a low seat. In the north-west angle is an original squint from the north transept. At the south-west is a 15th-century squint from the south transept with moulded jambs and a two-centred cinquefoiled arch in a square head. The west respond of the western bay of the arcade in the south wall has been cut away to the centre by the formation of this squint. The groined roof is in two quadripartite compartments with moulded transverse and diagonal ribs springing from corbels with abaci formed by the string-course above referred to, which was once continuous round the interior of the chancel, but is now interrupted by the many subsequent piercings. Externally the walls are plastered, and there is a shallow buttress of two offsets on the north, with clasping buttresses of the same number of offsets at the eastern angles. A buttress similar to that on the north survives in the south chapel between the two arches of the arcade.

The south chapel has a 14th-century east window of three trefoiled ogee lights with reticulated tracery in a two-centred head. In the south wall are two similar windows of two lights each. At the east end of this wall is a 14th-century piscina with a twocentred trefoiled head and chamfered jambs. Beneath the east window outside is a low 14th-century buttress.

The piers which support the two-centred arches of the late 12th-century central tower lie considerably within the outside line of the chancel wall. The east and west arches are roll-moulded on the west and chamfered on the east side, while the north and south arches are chamfered on both faces. The responds have shafted angles and hollow-chamfered imposts and the angle shafts have water-leaf capitals under the impost mouldings. The crossing is vaulted by a cross-vault with ribs of half-round section springing from corbels consisting of small shafts tapered off at their lower ends, and having water-leaf capitals and square abaci. The inner faces of the tower arches are worn in grooves by bell-ropes, for which the shell of the vault is pierced.

The north transept has a 14th-century east window of three trefoiled ogee lights with flamboyant tracery in a two-centred head. The lower stones of the internal jambs of this window are of original date with the transept, and probably formed the lower portion of the north and south jambs of a pair of lancets. To the south of the window is a head corbel and below the sill is a stone altar slab supported on modern corbels. In the north jamb is a plain corbel, probably an image bracket. In the north wall is a lancet, the only original window remaining in this transept. At the south-west is the entrance to the 15th-century rood-stairs, about 3 ft. above the floor line, with its original richly traceried door. These stairs are partly contained in the northeast angle of the original nave walls, to which an addition appears to have been made in the 15th century to give the staircase greater length eastward. Above the north tower arch, on the side towards this transept, is a doorway with a plain square head and jambs, opening into a chamber above the vault. On the plastered wall surface on either side of the tower arch are remains of a masonry pattern with stencilled four-leaved flowers, dating probably from the 14th century. The east wall of the south transept was demolished when the south chapel was added, the south wall of which lines with the south wall of the transept. The transept has a south lancet window like that in the north transept. At the west is a badly executed two-centred horse-shoe arch of re-used material. It is of two chamfered orders, opening into the south aisle and springing from a clumsily moulded corbel on the north side. On the south side is a shallow-chamfered square respond with a semicircular capital.

The 14th-century north arcade of the nave is of two bays with arches of two orders, the outer order having a swelled and the inner a plain chamfer. The column is octagonal and the responds are semioctagonal, with moulded capitals and bases to correspond. On the nave face of the wall above the western tower arch straight joints are plainly visible starting from about the level of its crown, indicating that the nave walls have been raised and that the central tower originally started at this point above a lower roof. The presence of a small trefoiled niche, probably a piscina, to the south of the arch, about 1 ft. above its springing, suggests that there was an altar on the rood-loft. Its projecting sill is formed by an enriched 12th-century stone, which looks like the capital of a pillar piscina. A square-headed doorway at the north end of this wall, on the same level as the rood door in the north wall of the nave, is now partly blocked up by the corbelling cut of the rood-stair wall above the springing of the eastern arch of the north arcade. The only opening in the western half of the north wall of the nave is a small round-arched 12th-century window with wide internal splays. The south arcade is of early 13th-century date, and was apparently formed in two separate portions, the three eastern bays and the two western bays being each complete in themselves and divided from each other by a pier 2 ft. 4 in. wide. The eastern bays have arches of two chamfered orders, the outer orders being continuous, while the inner orders spring from semicircular attached shafts, with capitals of various types, plain, scalloped and foliated. The bases are moulded throughout with a double roll and are raised about 2 ft. from the floor line on square chamfered plinths. The arches of the two western bays are also of two chamfered orders, the inner orders carried by semicircular attached shafts, and the outer orders continuous. The central pier thus formed is, however, a little over twice the width of the similarly formed piers of the three eastern bays. The eastern shafts of both bays have plain bell capitals, but that of the western shaft of the east bay is carved with a crude form of water-leaf, while the capital of the western shaft of the west bay, the outer order of which dies on to the west wall of the nave, is fluted and scalloped and the shaft is tapered away immediately below the necking. The plinths and bases resemble those of the eastern bays.

The north aisle is lighted on the north by a 14th-century square-headed window of two trefoiled lights with pierced and foliated spandrels. The north doorway is of late 15th-century date. The jambs and four-centred head are moulded with a double ogee and there is a square label externally. The spandrels are carved with shields; on the eastern is the letter F and on the western the letter V in Gothic capitals. Over the doorway is a contemporary square-headed niche with a moulded image bracket containing a moden figure of St. Michael. Below the sill of the north window externally is a moulded string-course contemporary with the aisle. In the west wall is a single trefoiled light of the same date as the window in the north wall.

The south aisle is lighted by two 15th-century windows in the south wall and one in the west wall, all with trefoiled lights. Between them is the south doorway, which has a hollow-chamfered four-centred head and jambs, within a square containing casement moulding; the spandrels are carved with foliage. There is a niche for a stoup on the east side of the door outside. The south porch contains some old timbers. The south and west walls of the south aisle are surmounted by plain parapets.

The tower arch is of three chamfered orders. The responds are plain, but have chamfered angles and moulded bases. Externally the tower is of three stages with diagonal buttresses of three offsets at all four angles. Crowning the whole is an open parapet of quatrefoiled circles, with crocketed pinnacles at the angles. The structure appears to be of early 15th-century date. The west window is of four cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery within a fourcentred head having an external label, and appears to be a late 15th-century insertion. To this period also the north window of the ringing stage probably belongs. It is of two uncusped lights within a straight-sided four-centred arch having an external label, the mullion being carried into the apex of the head and the spandrels pierced. This is the only window in this stage. The bell-chamber is lighted on all four sides by windows of two trefoiled lights with vertical tracery within two-centred heads, having external labels.

With the exception of the tower, which is ashlar faced, the walling generally is of flint rubble with stone dressings and is plastered in places. The buttresses are mainly original, though much restored, but the buttress at the west end of the south chapel is modern.

The timber roof of the south chapel is of high pitch and probably of 14th-century date, though much restored. This roof is continued over the south transept, two braces of the original roof of which are still visible against the transept face of the central tower. The roof of the north transept is of similar date. The roofs of the nave and south aisle are of the 15th century; the trusses of the former roof, which has also been much restored, have moulded and embattled tie-beams, and collars supported by curved and moulded braces. The north aisle has a lean-to roof of about the same date with moulded rafters and purlin. The alternate rafters are trussed by straight moulded struts with curved braces springing from the nave wall, and supported by wall posts resting on moulded wooden corbels, below which are modern stone corbels. The spandrels thus formed are filled with vertical tracery. The rafters are braced and supported by similar wall posts against the north wall resting on corbels placed at the same level as those on the nave wall.

The octagonal font is of 15th-century date and is placed near the west face of the western pier of the south arcade of the nave; the bowl is panelled with quatrefoiled circles on all faces but the east, and has shields on the faces of the taper, except on the west face, which has a fleur de lis. The steps are modern. In the west bay of the chancel arcade is a wood parclose screen of the 15th century with trefoiled lights in the upper portion and traceried panelling below. In the east window of the north transept is some 15th-century pattern glass in black and white. The design is a conventionalized ivy leaf growing upon a trellis-frame, the lines of which follow the sides of the diamond-shaped quarries. In the pavement beneath the altar of this transept, at the east end of the chancel, and at the north end of the south transept, are some mediaeval encaustic tiles about 4 in. square, comprising two types of four-tile patterns.

In the chancel face of the south-east wall of the central tower is a brass with effigy and Latin inscription to John Balam, vicar, who died 25 May 1496. In the floor on the north side of the chancel is a brass to John Latton, formerly of Chilton, who died in 1548, with the effigies of himself and one of his wives and an inscription in English. Between is the matrix of a female figure, probably that of his first wife. Beneath the figure of John Latton is the matrix of the brass which contained the figures of his six sons. Below this is a plate on which their names are inscribed. Below the female figure are the effigies of his nine daughters, with a brass inscribed with their names. At the foot is the quartered shield of Latton. The western portion of the brass is covered by a bookcase. The names of his children are William, Thomas, Anthony, John, Bartholomew, John, Alice, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret, Dorothy, Friswith, Jane, Susan, and Anne.

On the north wall of the chancel are the figures of a knight in plate armour of c. 1500, possibly Thomas Latton, who died in 1503, three children and a lady with the matrix of another female figure, to which the figure of a lady, now in the face of the south-west pier of the central tower, probably belongs. In the south chapel is a brass to Dame Alice Daunce, daughter of Thomas Latton, who died in 1527, containing the figures of herself and her husband Sir John Daunce, surveyor general to King Henry VIII. The man is in plate armour with a tabard of his arms, which are also represented on a shield above his head, namely: Party a fesse wavy between three goats' heads razed. On the cloak of the female figure are the arms of Daunce on the dexter and of Latton on the sinister. These are also represented on a shield above her head. Below these figures are the figures of her five sons and two daughters. At the foot is a shield with three lozenges palewise.

In the floor beneath the east window of the north transept is a brass plate inscribed, 'pray for the Soule of John Casberde one of the good benefactours to this Churche On whose soule Jhũ have mercy. Amen.' On either side of the north doorway externally, between the label and the side walls of the porch, are the matrices of brasses of kneeling figures with scrolls.

There is a ring of eight bells: the treble and second are by Taylor & Co., Loughborough, 1906; the third is inscribed, 'Henry Knight Made mee 1663'; the fourth, 'Thomas Lyford, Henry Butler cw 1689 Samuel Knight'; the fifth bears the inscription, 'John Humphry, John Keate cw 1704' ; the sixth, 'Blessed be the name of the Lorde Joseph Carter 1586' ; the seventh, 'Edward Read of Albourn Wilts Fecit 1752'; and tenor is by John Hunt of Cholsey, 1825. There is also a sanctus bell dated 1819.

The plate includes a cup and paten of 1663 and a second cup and paten of 1725.

The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all entries 1588 to 1674; (ii) baptisms 1720 to 1783, burials 1720 to 1812, marriages 1721 to 1789; (iii) marriages 1789 to 1812; (iv) baptisms 1783 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Michael's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Blewbury with Upton and Aston Upthorpe', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3, ed. P H Ditchfield and William Page (London, 1923), pp. 280-291. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3/pp280-291 [accessed 27 February 2023].

St. Michael's Church is a Grade I listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, Blewbury - 1368625 | Historic England

For more information about St. Michael's Church see Parishes: Blewbury with Upton and Aston Upthorpe | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).