Warfield Parish Church is a Grade II* listed building.<refref> It is located on Church Lane, Warfield, in Berkshire, England, ¾ of a mile north-east of the modern centre of the village. It is dedicated to the archangel Michael (although it is sometimes referred to as St Michaels and All Saints, locally it is known as St Michael the Archangel). The area around the church has been designated a conservation area since 1974 primarily to protect the character and nature of this historical building.
Pevsner commented that "Warfield is one of the most rewarding churches around". The building charts its origins back to 1016 when Queen Emma, the wife of King Æthelred the Unready decided to give "the vill and chapel" of Warfield to the See of Winchester. Although it is likely that the location where Warfield Church now stands has been a place of worship from approximately 800AD when it was little more than a clearing in the middle of the Windsor Great Forest. "Warfelt" is mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086. In 1087 under the reign of William II, The Priory of Hurley was given patronage of Warfield, i.e., the right to appoint the Vicar. This patronage continued until 1535.
The early years
The first stone church was constructed in Warfield c. 1135 under King Stephen. The church building would have been a simple timber construction before that. In 1156 Henry II signed an official charter giving the lands and church of Warfield to the Monks of Hurley.
In 1272 in the reign of Edward I a new chancel was built on the site of the present day St Katherine's chapel and glass started to be used in windows. At this date the Eucharist was only taken three times a year and all services were in Latin. In 1349 the Black Death hit Warfield. Until that point the village of Warfield was in close proximity to the church. The Black Death caused people to leave homes close to the church and relocate further afield. This explains the church's slightly isolated location today.
The monks of Hurley
At the end of the 14th century the monks of Hurley moved to Warfield because the Thames flooded their priory in Hurley. The 14th century monks were formidable. They took over the Parish Church, probably using the Chancel, today's St Katherine's Chapel, as their Chapter House. They built a fine Chapel (today's Chancel) as a scaled version of that at Hurley, the chalk having been brought from the Hurley chalk pits. The monks gathered for corporate worship six times a day. Following the repair of Hurley in 1401 the monks began to return to their home besides the Thames.
Several decades after the monks returned to their Priory on the Thames, the major part of the building at Warfield was constructed out of what the monks left behind. The Tower was built in the mid 15th century and the present bell tower was completed. In the 1500s the picture of the Church would have been one of priest with his helpers in the chancel, dressed in colourful robes, speaking hardly audible tones in Latin. Across the entrance to the Chancel was a large wooden screen with statutes on it. A restored version using some of the original carving is across the entrance to St Katherine's Chapel today. The walls were highly painted with pictures and texts.
In 1523 Robert Geyn was appointed Vicar of Warfield. At the Bishop's visitation of 1550 the people complained that Geyn was not performing his duties, had employed an untrained curate (Robert Mason) to care for the church, and was using the vicarage to care for horses and pigs.
The Protestant reformation
In 1570 the Warfield Parish Rooms were built. It was known as the Wake House. People used to meet annually on the feast of the dedication of the church to St Michael. The building is possibly on the site of an older monastic building.
There is always some item of background controversy however, in 1674 the Warfield Wardens state that the present vicar had given up teaching and had become a farmer. In 1677 there was a yearlong lawsuit between John Brakes (a parishioner) and the Warfield Church Wardens as to the ownership of the pew by the pulpit. The 16th and 17th centuries saw vast changes. Henry VIII's break with Rome led to the destruction of the monasteries and priories. Local churches like Warfield were also cleansed of all things that could lead to ritual and superstition. The walls were whitewashed and screens and statues would have been removed. The stone altar was also removed and replaced by a simple wooden table. There was also a large two decker pulpit.