[3] The parish of Howick dates back to 1158 when a priest named Asket is recorded, but there was a church here long before his time.

That 'Ionic' building burnt down in turn and was replaced by the present church in 1848, which was designed by the architect FJ Francis.

This neo-Norman style temple is a typically Victorian building, with round-arched Romanesque windows and doors.

Mabel Palmer, 5th Countess (1884–1958), commissioned the paintings behind the altar and the baptismal font, and are regarded with mixed feelings.

[3] Michael Fisher, the second Anglican Bishop of St Germans, recounts the experience with the family of Charles Grey, 5th Earl Grey in his memoir For the Time Being: A Memoir, he mentions that they were devout High Church Anglicans,[6] but the churchmanship of St Michael's is unclear.