History of St. Michael's Church Childs Ercall

This church has the oldest main structure of any of the six churches in the Benefice. It has 13th Century arcades although the Chancel was added in 1879 by Carpenter and Ingelow.
The base of the sundial, south of the Church, is the stump of the original early cross, where missionaries - and later friars - preached in the 6th and 7th centuries. The sundial itself is dated 1713. Unfortunately there are no remains of the earliest church which was probably of a "daub & wattle" construction in the 6th century.

In the Doomsday Book of 1086 it is recorded that there was a priest in Childs Ercall, and there still remains the small round-headed window frame, at the east end of the north aisle, from the early stone built Norman church. In 1897 this was moved from the chancel and glazed.
In the 13th century aisles were added to the original stone building. The southern arcade of four bays has circular piers and Early English moulded capitals, as is the western pier of the north arcade. The remaining piers, which came later, are octagonal with double chamfered arches.
The unusual font also dates from the 13th century, as does the priest's door in the south wall of the chancel. This was carefully dismantled and re-erected when the chancel was rebuilt in 1879 by Carpenter and Ingelow.
In the 14th century much of the church was rebuilt and the south aisle, with the piscina in the south wall and the hagioscope, through which the priest could be seen from the south door, date from this period.

The tower, the west end of the nave and the west window are late 15th Century.

In the inventory of 1552 are listed:-
One chalice of silver,
Three great bells
one sanctus bells
There are still the three bells. The tenor was re-cast about 1590, the Second in 1607 and again in 1868 and the treble was recast in about 1700 These bells were rung for a service for the first time for about 30 years on Sunday, 29th July 2001 for the United Benefice Service, thanks to many weeks of work to the bells by two volunteers.

The silver chalice is at present on display at St. Mary Centre, Lichfield.

The restoration of 1878/9 saw the rebuilding of the chancel, and the reconstruction of the north aisle. The organ was specially built and new pews replaced the old seating.

The glass in the East window was inserted in 1895 and the porch over the south door was erected in 1901.
The tower clock is by J.B.Joyce and Company of Whitchurch and was installed in 1920 as a war memorial. The iron spiral staircase in the tower was installed in 1974, having been previously used in Wolverhampton fruit and vegetable market.

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