Listed Building record MDR2573 - St Michael's Church, Hall Lane, Willington

St Michael's Church, Hall Lane, Willington, originally a 12th century building. 'No mention is made of a church in Domesday Book. However, there must have been a church about this time, for William the Conqueror bestowed the town of Willington, together with its church, on the Abbey of Burton. The church was given to the adjacent priory of Repton in 1223; this grant was confirmed by Henry III in 1252. The church is dedicated to St Michael and consists of nave, chancel, north transept and small west tower. The small and singularly plain tower was built in 1824. Shortly afterwards a 'remarkably ugly' north transept was built. Earlier drawings show that the west wall of the nave had been supported by three massive buttresses and the bells were in a square turret on the west gable. There was a south porch with a square-headed doorway and a steep-pitched roof, and the south windows of the nave were square-headed and debased. There is now no porch and the south doorway is built up. This doorway is of Norman date, with a rounded moulding and having a tympanum partly carved in squares with intersecting lines. The arch between the nave and chancel was probably a plain Norman one originally but was re-cased in 1824. On each side of the chancel are two short lancet windows of Early English date, although the inner splay has been modernised.' (1) 'St Michael's Church, Willington has a Norman south doorway. The tower and north transept are of 1824.' (2) 'St Michael's Church is built in the Early English style. The tower was built in 1824 at a cost of £80 and the north transept was added not much later. The south doorway is Norman and the Norman chancel arch survived until 1824. The south nave windows are of the 19th century.' (5) From the National Heritage List for England: 'PARISH OF WILLINGTON HALL LANE SK 22 NE 2/116 (North Side) 19.1.67 Church of St Michael GV II Parish church. C12, C13, 1824 and mid C19. Random coursed and coursed squared sandstone. Plain tile roofs with stone coped gables with plain kneelers. West tower, nave, south porch, north transept, chancel and north vestry. West tower of 1824, partly engaged by the nave. Angle quoins, stringcourse at half height and above the bell openings. Moulded cornice and battlemented parapet. Four obelisk pinnacles. To the west a single chamfered lancet window. Single chamfered lancet bell openings in each direction. Early C20 south porch, timber framed over a sandstone base. To the left a trefoil window set high up. To the right are two pairs of plain chamfered C19 lancets. The chancel south has a priests doorway with four-centred arched lintel and plank door, flanked by small chamfered lancets. Square headed east window with chamfered surround and two plain arched lights, possibly C17. Mid C18 tombstone set in the wall below. The north side of the chancel has one similar small lancet. Lean-to vestry has a plain domestic 2-light chamfered mullion window and C18 tombstones set in the east wall. Large north transept projection has to the east a window with Y-tracery. To the north a blocked doorway with four centred arched lintel. To the west, two more windows with Y-tracery. The north side of the nave has one broad lancet set high up. C12 south doorway with nook shafts and round arch of three moulded orders. Almost totally defaced incised tympanum. Incisded medieval coffin lid set into the west wall of the porch. Interior: chapel north has a blind lancet and two C18 wall tablets. Early C19 panelled dado around the sanctuary with painted texts. Chancel south has a much defaced medieval tomb slab. Plastered ceilings and walls, the nave with a moulded cornice. C18 baluster front with rich acanthus ornament. Georgian pulpit and tester. Lozenge hatchment on nave west wall. Two painted benefaction boards in the north transept. Listing NGR: SK2948628167.' (6)