Church of St Michael, Bishop Middleham

"In 1146 Osbert, the nephew of Bishop Flambard, gave the Church of Middleham to the Prior and Convent at Durham; this is the first recorded mention of the church, although the village may have already been established for some time.../.../..St Michael’s Church is an 11th or 12th century church presumably dating to the original layout of the village and is Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England. Much of the visible architecture dates to the 13th century, such as the pointed lancets, outer doorway and porch and the 19th century when it was remodelled. Below the bellcote are the arms of the Bishops’ of Durham; this may have been removed from the castle (Pevsner 1990, 109), although their presence on the church would not be unexpected. The use of a bellcote instead of a tower might make the church less prominent than many but, the number of tombstones sitting on the high ground of the graveyard and the church’s hill top position both draw the eye to the top of Church Street..."  (Conservation Area Appraisal - Bishop Middleham, 2012)