The stained glass windows within
the chapel were designed by Archibald John Davies (1877-1953) and we believe
were produced during the period 1930-32. A J Davies studied stained glass under
Henry Payne at Birmingham Art College from where he joined the Bromsgrove Guild,
based in the Midlands. In turn, Henry Payne was instructed in stained glass at
Lowndes & Drury's workshop in Chelsea under the guidance of Christopher Whall,
the most important of all the Arts & Crafts stained glass designers (some of his
finest work can be seen in the Lady Chapel, Gloucester Cathedral). A J Davies
work can also be seen in the "Stanbury Chapel", Hereford Cathedral and in the
cloisters of Worcester Cathedral. A great number of his windows went abroad to
Johannesburg Cathedral, Nairobi Cathedral and to North America, and especially
Canada.
The glass used is all mouth blown muff and slab glass, including streaky antique
full colour, tints, golds, pinks and rubies. The subject matter relates to
Saint Michael and All Angels, after whom the chapel is dedicated. St Michael
features on the main West Window (featured here), and the other windows feature
(north wall) the Angels of Song, Angels of the Resurrection, Angels of the
Night, and Angels of the Nativity, (south wall) Worshipping Angels, Angels of
the Passion, and Angels of the Earth and Sea, with one further rose window on
the east wall.
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