One of a small number of fortified churches in the border area, unique in having 2 fortified towers. Probably a late C12 church, bell tower 1360, C15 east tower, alterations of 1713 and restoration 1881. West tower has extremely thick walls on chamfered plinth with clasping buttresses; vaulted lower chamber has newel staircase in south-west angle, lit by arrow slits; west wall has internal steps in thickness of wall, to arrow slit; loop hole near former north entrance in aisle. Vestry was formerly the vicar's tower, reduced in height and gabled over, probably in 1713; remains of a blocked C15 window.

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Name	Burgh by Sands Church of St Michael
Alternative Names
Historic County	Cumberland
Civil Parish	Burgh By Sands
Type	Fortified Ecclesiastical site
Confidence	Certain
Remains	Major
Listed	Grade 1
Scheduled Ancient Monument	No
Ordnance Survey Reference	NY328591
Eastings	332860
Northing	559100
Images of England Reference	78230
PastScape Reference	10696
Historic Environment Record	3769

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Books

• Harrison, Peter, 2004, Castles of God (Woodbridge; Boydell Press) p67, 68 n1
• Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p10, 280-286, 288, 295, 308, 310, 315-6, 319, 331, 339, 359-60, 361-2, 367
• Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS) p62-3
• Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p36
• Cope, Jean, 1991, Castles in Cumbria (Cicerone Press) p95-6
• King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p97
• Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p53-4
• Pevsner, N., 1967, The Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth, Penguin) p81
• Grainger, F. and Collingwood, W.G., 1929, The Register and Records of Holm Cultram [CWAAS Record Series Vol8] (Kendal: CWAAS)
• Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire North-of-the-Sands[CWAAS Extra Series Vol8] (Kendal: CWAAS) p324-5
• Lysons, Daniel and Samuel, 1816, 'Antiquities: Ancient church architecture' Magna Britannia Vol4: Cumberland p. cxci-ii and plates http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50672

Journals

• Storey, R.L., 1955, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol54 p121, 130
• Whyte, T., 1919, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London Vol31 p175
• 1887, Archaeologia Aeliana Vol2 p238
• Watkin, W.T., 1882, 'Roman inscriptions discovered in Britain in 1881, with notes on another found at Binchester' Archaeological Journal Vol39 p357-8
• Cory, 1875, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol2 p46-56

Unpublished

• Kelland, C.H., 1982, Ecclesiae Incastellatae: A Documentary and Architectural Study of the Concept of 'Fortified Churches' in England and Wales (M.Phil. Thesis, 2 vols, University College, University of London) p192