It has been said that churches on the highest hills of Somerset are, as is the case here, dedicated to the St Micheal and All Angels.

In common with many Somerset churches, St Micheal's possesses a tower but no steeple. Some of the stone of which the fabric is constructed is the local greensand extracted from the many open pits for which the area is famous. It is roofed with stone slabs although not of the local Greensand - the freestone cannot be split into suitably thin sheets. Sir Nicholas Pevsner describes the style of the building as mostly Perpendicular in his Churches of North Somerset and Bristol

The embattled western tower carries a rough weather-worn head at each corner and is supported by strong buttresses on either side of the west door.

Above the outer door to the large porch covering the south door is a niche containing a sculpture of about 1400 of the Virgin and two kneeling figures. This was brought back to the church from Italy by Rev Samuel Marindin during his incumbency (1841-52).

Inside the porch are stone benches, one on either side. The one on the left carries a slab inscribed with the name of J. Matthews and dated 1795.

Around the south door itself is a characteristic Norman zig-zag carving whilst on the lintel is carved a lamb in a circle flanked by a lion and lioness. At the corners are the crowned heads of two kings as yet unidentified but believed by some to be King Alfred and King Guthrun. The early antiquaries regarded this feature as Saxon but later expert opinion is that it dates from Norman times only. The Tympanum above is bare.

Formerly there was a standing cross in the churchyard but this disappeared during the rebuilding of 1805.

It is believed that circa 1450 the tower, chancel and possibly the nave, were rebuilt. Like many other churches, large and small, ours suffered extensive renovation in the last century. In 1805 the side walls of the nave were pulled down and rebuilt 4 feet higher and in 1848-9 a new north aisle and vestry were added. There was some local indignation after the 1805 rebuilding when it became known that gravestones and walling stone from the nave had been used to build a wall at Pear Ash, a pigsty in Marsh and a WC at Forest Lodge.

The tower contains six bells. The tenor, from the redundant church at St Mary, Charlynch, near Bridgwater, and a new treble were added in 1985 when the bells were rehung in steel frames by Robert Parker of Hambridge. The completed work was dedicated on 18 October 1985 by the Bishop of Taunton.

The bells are:

The 5th bell was the first ever cast by Purdue and the 3rd bell was a replacement for, or a recasting of, a bell of 1717 by Edward Lott. Only two other bells by Lott are known.

There is a tradition that when Stavordale Priory was being dismantled, a dispute arose between Pen and Stoke Trister as to which village should have the bell. It was finally agreed to load it onto a cart and to allow the horses to take the bell to whichever village they chose. According to legend Pen was the lucky recipient, but others think that the Stavordale bell would have been too small to have been any use in a peal.

Inside the church, the pew ends are of great interest. They were carved by the late Mrs Clemency Angell in 1927 and show medieval figures engaged in their daily work on the land. Mrs Angell signed many of the bench ends with a carved honey bee. The pews themselves were made of local wood by John Butt, a carpenter living at what is now called Holly Cottage in Coombe Street.

A list of the incumbents, beginning with Hugh de Burton 1325, may be found on the south wall on the left of the window. The window contains the only glass remaining from the rebuildings. There are five roundels of the 15th century and they feature: in the centre, the sun in splendour, on the left, the Blessed Virgin Mary and a crown, and on the right, the letter T inverted and a crown. It is sad that so much medieval glass was destroyed in 19th century renovations, but who can blame Pen when Salisbury Cathedral was suffering similarly.

The Norman font has a square bowl with fluted sides and behind the font stands a figurine of St Michael carved in lime-wood by Major RK Archer of the parish. At one time there was a gallery across the west end of the nave but this was removed in recent times.

In the apex of the roof are three carved and gilded oak bosses, each of a different design. These were taken from Stavordale Priory in 1874. Above the chancel is a board of the Royal Arms put up in 1820, presumably to mark the accession of George IV in that year. Two boards setting out the Commandments and the Creed were erected at the same time, at a total cost of �12-1s-1�d.

Before 1871 the singing was led by a violin, a cello, a bass viol and flutes, but in that year a Willis organ was installed. The present instrument, also a Willis, was acquired in 1960.

The churchwardens accounts for 1814 show that an iron chest was bought for �6 and that 'lads' were paid 3d per dozen for dead sparrows; 4d was disbursed for a hedgehog and a polecat.

No very ancient memorial stones survive inside the church although the step at the west door appears to have been one. It is now almost indecipherable from age and wear. There are handsome marble mural plaques and brass plates in the nave and chancel dating from the last century. In 1867 a partly obliterated flagstone was removed from the chancel step when the tiles were laid. The stone was to the memory of Catherine Tyte obiit 23 Maii Anno Domini 1684 Aetatis Suae 26.

A quarterly Parish Paper is available from the church.

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