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| St. Michael's | South Porch | View from South East |
The tower of St Michael's was built in 1861 and the north aisle in 1842. However, the chancel and south aisle with octagonal columns are 14th century. The church was closed when I called but Pevsner relates it has a west gallery, supported on iron columns, and box pews.
When Arthur Mee visited Shirley in the 1930s he reported that there was a yew tree with a girth of 17 feet which had been recently damaged in a gale. The Shirley family took its name from the village in the 12th century and were lords of the manor until the 19th century. The church has a monument to one who was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury, mentioned in Shakespeare as "valiant Shirley". A brass cross commemorates Canon Shirley of Christ Church Oxford and a stone monument is for Walter Augustus Shirley a vicar who became a bishop.
Sources:
The Buildings of England, Derbyshire, by Nikolaus Pevsner, revised by Elizabeth Williamson, Yale University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-300-09591-0
The King's England, Derbyshire, by Arthur Mee, first published in 1937, 6th impression 1951
