Church of St Michael and All Angels, Felton

The small village is situated about south of Alnwick, and north of Morpeth. The nearest city, Newcastle upon Tyne, is and the Scottish border is about an hour's drive from Felton. The church is located on a high wooded ridge to the west of the village on the Great North Road. It is situated on top of a steep slope between the River Coquet and Back Burn, with meadows from the graveyard stretching to the Burn. Felton Park, a hunting forest and a designed landscape, is west of the church. ==History==

St. Michael, or St. Michael and All Angels, is a dedication of very frequent occurrence in the northern parts of Northumberland. Felton's 13th-century church has seen many alterations and additions, and has become by virtue of them almost encased within another church, quite literally as far as the porches are concerned. A writ was issued on 22 March 1331/2, on the petition of Roger Mauduit of Eshott, to ascertain whether it would be to the loss or damage of the king (Edward II) if he were to grant Roger a licence to endow a chantry in the church of St Michael of Felton, with lands in Eshott of the value of 100s. a year, to provide a chaplain to perform divine service every day for his soul, and for those of his heirs and ancestors. The licence was granted later in 1332. In 1759, Thomas Heron of East Thirston provided a sum of money to build a gallery, probably followed by the erection of the north aisle with sash windows. ==Architecture==

The earliest work is in the chancel and nave, the latter having originally been without aisles. Together, they formed a low narrow building, measuring from east to west about , and about in width. The semi-round respond at the east end of the north nave arcade is similar to the jambs of the chancel arch, and possibly indicates the presence of a small transept or chapel. This window was probably inserted in 1331/32, at the instance of Roger Mauduit when he was granted a licence to endow a chantry in the church. The small Early English Period east light, or triplet, was removed during a renovation to make room for a gaping round-headed sash window of small square panes. ;Porch A porch to the south door seems to have been the first addition to the church, the outline of which can be easily traced, and it reached to the present aisle wall. The 14th-century builders who added aisles to the structure did not take down the 13th-century porch they found on the south side, but enclosed it in their addition. From it they built out a second porch, which now gives access to the first. The roof line of the original porch may be seen over the early door on the inside of the present south door, and is supported by a chamfered arch rib. The outer door to the first porch, now the inner one of the existing porch, is of two chamfered orders that continue to the ground, with a hood-moulding springing from carved terminals. Several courses remain of the diagonal buttresses which originally flanked this door. ==Fittings==

The church has two old bells. One is pre-Reformation, having the inscription "Ave . M | Ria . Gracia. Plena" and the other was probably made in 1764. The side benches are of stone. The bowl and shaft of the font are octagonal; it has been re-chiselled and appears to be of the 14th century. In the north wall is a portion of the effigy of a priest holding a chalice; it rests within an arched recess springing from moulded capitals and may also date from the 14th century. ==Vicarage==

A few yards from the entrance gates is the former vicarage, a long, low, building erected in 1758. The vicarage's formal garden lies alongside the road to the church. ==References==