The Churches of Coventry | Page 8

lower part of the northern one. The exterior
of this is however easily accessible from an enclosure known as the
Wood Yard, the much decayed spreading plinth and a few feet of
walling above it not having been destroyed. Above this, grievous
damage has been perpetrated by the casing and complete obliteration of
the mouldings and arcading which remained. The towers were placed
outside the line of the aisles as at Wells, the total width of the West
front, 145 feet, being nearly the same in both cases. There are still
indications of the position of the great west door, but the height of the
inner plinth shows that there was always a descent of several steps into
the church. At the south transept where was "the Minster durra that
openeth to the Trinite Churchyarde," the descent must have been
considerable. The remains show that the nave dated from the first half
of the thirteenth century, while fragments of wall near the site of the
transept with indications of lancet window openings are probably a
little earlier than the west end.
[Illustration: REMAINS OF THE N.W. TOWER (IN THE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY).]
Whether the church of Leofric and Godiva, dedicated in 1043, had
survived wholly or in part until this time cannot be known, but, judging
from the history of most other great monastic churches and from the
known wealth of the monastery, it may almost be taken for granted that
the Norman bishops and priors rebuilt much if not all. Some relics of
Norman work have been found but the covering of the site with roads,
graves and houses precludes the systematic exploration and survey

which alone could solve this question and make clear the outlines of the
plan of the whole establishment.
The entrance to some wine-cellars in Priory Row gives access to the
old pavement level of part of the choir and transept. From the fact that a
brick vault forms the roof the cellars have often been looked upon as
the crypt of the church but this is erroneous; the vault is a later insertion
and if any crypt exists it lies below this level. To the east of the
cathedral was the Bishop's Palace, the gardens of it extending over the
detached burial ground of St. Michael's to the east of Priory Street. The
grandeur of this assemblage of buildings grouping, with the spires of
the churches behind and rising so magnificently above the houses of
the city can best be realized by going to the top of Bishop Street
whence may be obtained the finest view of the two spires that remain.
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH
[Illustration: ST. MICHAEL'S FROM THE NORTH.]
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH

CHAPTER I
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
The early history of St. Michael's Church is very obscure. The fact that
Domesday mentions no parish churches proves nothing. There can be
little doubt that one at least existed. Though we have an earlier record
of St. Michael's it is commonly held that Trinity is the elder foundation.
Of St. Michael's the first notice we have is when Ranulph, Earl of
Chester, in the days of Stephen, about 1150, granted the "Chapel" of St.
Michael to Laurence, Prior, and the Convent of St. Mary, "being
satisfied by the testimony of divers persons, as well Clergy as Laity,
that it was their right." Fourteen dependent chapels in the
neighbourhood or within a few miles went with it and the number of
these dependencies is held to show that it was "a primitive Saxon parish
and of considerable importance." In 1192 Ranulph Blundeville,
grandson of the former Ranulph, gave tithe of his lands and rents in
Coventry and bound his officers under pain of a grievous curse to make
due payment.

In the early thirteenth century a dispute arose between Bishop Geoffrey
de Muschamp and the Priory as to the right of presentation, the Bishop
claiming on the ground of being Abbot as well as Bishop. This was
settled in 1241 by the Priory renouncing its claim in consideration of
receiving a share of the income but in 1248 an exchange was effected,
the Priory giving the advowsons of Ryton and Bubbenhall[4] (not far
from Coventry) for St. Michael and its chapels and engaging to provide
proper secular priests with competent support. In 1260 the church was
appropriated to the monastery together with Holy Trinity and its
chapels and although in the arrangement of 1248 twenty-four marks
(_£_16) had been assigned to the vicarage, in 1291 we find the priory
receiving fifty marks and paying the vicar eight and a half.
Since 1537 the patronage has with that of Trinity, been exercised by the
Crown.
The internal evidence of the date of the building is given in the
description of the fabric. Of external evidence in the