St Michael & All Angels

St Michael & All Angels was built nearly nine hundred years ago on the site of the earlier monastery founded by St Dubricius around five hundred years earlier. It is a rare example of a two cell early 12th century Romanesque church built to the same ground plan and probably by the same school of masons as Kilpeck Church, but largely from local tufa rather than sandstone.

The Roman basilica plan which was adopted by the early Christian church is reflected in the apse and chancel at Moccas. Other key historic features include the 14th century windows, distinctively from the same studio responsible for the great east window at Gloucester, the Tewkesbury Abbey choir windows, and the Jesse tree windows at Ludlow and Tewkesbury; an effigy and tomb of a knight in the centre of the chancel, believed to be Roger de Fresne who died in 1375; and a wonderfully decorated organ, constructed by RW Walker in 1871, in a dramatic casing designed by Gilbert Scott Junior and painted by Thomas Kempe in colours of olive green, orangey red, blue and gold sunbursts, with scrolled lettering, all edged with a green and red briar rose frieze, and originally powered by a Bailey’s hydraulic engine using water from a local spring. The organ, case and hydraulic engine were restored in 2020 with generous support from HLF, private donors and charities. The church is included in Simon Jenkins book 1000 Best Churches, and indeed the organ was selected as one of the twelve from round the world for inclusion in the 2021 Choir & Organ calendar.

But our church is far more than an important historic building and village landmark. It is a much loved place where we gather inside and outside with family and friends to share in important life events such as christenings, weddings and funerals; the gatherings at Easter, Harvest Festival and Christmas, regular Sunday worship, and other exciting musical events drawing in people from across the country using our newly restored organ.