Moccas Village Church

ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS

According to legend, an angel told St Dubricius to establish a monastery where he would find a white sow with her piglets. He named it Mochros 'moor of the pigs'. Moccas Abbey was laid to waste by the Saxons & a plague by 600AD and only a Church is noted in later charters.

In 1086 Moccas was owned by St Guthlac's Priory and Nigel the Physician. Since the 12thC the village has been owned by four families: de Fresnes,Vaughans,Cornewalls and Chester-Masters. In 1294 Hugh de Fresnes was licensed to fortify his manor house near Moccas Park, but that castle now has no visable remains.

The present church, built of local calcareous tufa about 1130, is an almost perfect example of a Norman church.

High in the Nave walls are two round-headed Norman windows. Two others are 14thC, the north one with original glass and tracery similar to the chancel north window.

The Church was re-roofed in 1978. On an oak frame in the roof space at the west end are two bells, both are too large for the open turret on the western gable.

The effigy in the centre of the chancel is probably of Richard de Fresne who died in 1375. His crossed legs show he had been on a crusade & the dog at his feet that he died at home. The 13th/14thC windows both have original glass & display the de Fresne Arms; a helm and two green birds.

The Apse has 3 original windows but the memorial glass is Victorian. The Altar was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr & the altar rail came from the redundant church at Willersley, Herefordshire in 1975.

The 12th/13thC font bowl with its 17thC cover has a 'modern' stem.

In 1872 the organ was built-in to the west end by Messers R.Walker, replacing an earlier organ now at Dinmore Manor Chapel. The case was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr & painted byThomas Kempe.

A swell organ was added in 1875 and the entire instrument was restored in 1980.