St Michaels Church is a grade 1 listed building. The entire building is constructed of locally quarried blue lias stone.  The Church was originally constructed during the reign of Edward the Confessor 1042-1066.  It is believed that at that time the building consisted of the nave and an apse that housed the altar, although it is believed that there was probably a place of worship on the site dating from Roman times.

During the 13^th century the tower was constructed of the same blue lias stone.  The design is early English with a pyramidal fishscale tile roof with a weather vane and coped verges.  On the west side there are two lancet windows, one above the other.  The tower is unbuttressed and of four receding stages with an embattled parapet on corbels.  There is a low rectangular stair turret to the south with a single pitch roof with stone slates.  On the lowest stage of the tower there is a lancet window to the west and on the stage above further lancets to the north south and west.  The top stage of the tower has 2 light perpendicular bell chamber windows.  The south wall was rebuilt in the 15^th century, it is thought that the original 13^th century foundations would have been reused.

The south wall includes a scratch dial or mass clock which was probably dated between 1350-1500 and is believed to have been the only method of telling the time.  This scratch dial is to the right of the priests door and was found when both the door and the dial were uncovered when the render was removed in the 1850’s.

The high porch was added in the 15^th century, it has a shallow front facing gable and a gargoyle and still contains oak beams with a date inscribed on them of 1637, although they are no longer used in a supporting role, they have been left in situ.  The main archway in the porch has quite definitely been raised quite considerably, probably at the time that the porch windows were blocked up and the floor was removed to the priests room, this would most likely to have occurred on the 1859 restoration.

During the 15^th cent the old north wall was moved outwards to make the north aisle larger with the original windows being reused in the new position.  These windows are two light pointed head windows and are reticulated with quarterfoils.

The east end of the church had to be restored between 1870 and 1881 as it had been necessary to rebuild the wall due to deterioration in the structure.  At that time three Romanesque windows were added to the east end.

The vestry was added at the east end of the north aisle in the 19^th cent with additional space needed to add the organ.  There is a three light pointed head window with tracery between the north aisle and the vestry.

A faculty was granted on 25^th November 1859 for all the necessary remaining restoration work needed on the church and this was consequently carried out over the next few years.  It was at this point that it was decided to remove all the exterior rendering to reveal the original bullies stone, the priests door and mass clock amongst other features.  In addition at this time the main roof was patched up.

The west door of the tower was replaced in December 1913 at a cost of £200. In 1956 the north aisle roof was completely removed and replaced.  The roof of the nave was entirely replaced in 1973.

All the timbers were badly ravaged by woodworm.  All the lead roofing was removed and is now replaced by tiles.

In 1992 the tower was replastered and repainted with the roof and the tower being repaired where necessary.  In the upper section of the tower the windows are standard plate windows with quarterfoils.

St Michael’s contains a mixture of architectural features particularly the nave being the earliest part of the building construction.

Both the chancel and the chancel arch are early English.

The chancel is a two bay chancel with the main arch restored probably in the 1850’s.  The chancel has a wagon style roof restored between 1859-1874.

The panelling on the east end wall behind the altar is Jacobean and was made up of the bench ends removed from the pews in 1859 when the church was reseated.  During this restoration a change in floor levels was discovered particularly in front of the altar and the sedila.  The sedila is on the south side of the sanctuary where the celebrant, deacon and the sub deacon sat during high mass.

The 13th cent nave was restored and rebuilt in the 15^th cent.  At this stage the perpendicular pillars were erected and the north aisle added.  Beneath the floor in the north aisle a crypt was discovered where several of the Greenhill family who owned Puriton Manor house are buried.  The north aisle contains some elaborate memorials to the Greenhills.  The north aisle also houses the font.  The font is made of local honey coloured ham stone which was lime washed to preserve it.  The wooden font cover was made in 1986 by Neil Widgery.

Originally the chapel of the angels was built at the east end of the north aisle but this was dismantled centuries ago and only the piscine with Tudor rose remains

The credence table on the north side of the sanctuary has a 13^th century capital taken from a doorway.  The shaft is modern and made of ham stone.

The present pulpit was presented to the church in 1937 and has been erected on the original stone base probably 1200-1300.  The previous pulpit probably Jacobean being dated pre 1859 had become ravaged by woodworm and had become unsafe.

The lectern was bought for £24 in 1984 and is made of brass and was purchased by parishioners and friends of the church.  St Michaels also contains a Pewter Flagon which was repaired and cleaned in 1935, it is inscribed John Squire 1731.

The Parish chest is made of oak and dated 1629.  It originally had three locks requiring the vicar and both churchwardens keys to unlock it.

In 1859 a raised gallery was removed at the west end of the nave, this was believed to have been used by musicians prior to the arrival of the organ.