Documentary evidence suggests that the earliest chapel, founded by 1200, dedicated to St. Michael, is believed to have been in a chamber above the old Roman City gateway of Burgate.

It was rebuilt as a church on the north side of Burgate Street, inside the walls and west of the gate when the Burgate was rebuilt in 1475. The gate by then was over three hundred years old.

The parish was united with St. George the Martyr in 1516 and the body of St. Michael's church was pulled down soon after. The tower of the church stood over the south side of Queningate Lane until the late 17th century (1684).

The parish church of St. Michael belonged to Canterbury Cathedral Priory, this is confirmed in a bull of Pope Alexander III (Pope 1159-1181). It served a tiny urban parish in the surrounding area which was densely packed with houses, many of which also belonged to Christ Church Priory.

The actual size of the church is not known, although Gardiner considers that the church was probably much the same size and plan as St. Mary's Queningate, and that it had no graveyard, but the parishioners were buried (as their wills indicate) at St. Augustine's.

Description from record TR 15 NE 220:
The church of St Michael-over-Burgate (TR 15235774. Sited to the site of Burgate) was in a sufficiently ruinous condition in the 15th century to require complete rebuilding. (1) In 1516 the benefices of St George the Martyr and St Michael were united and "the Church of St Michael, standing on the covered way within the city wall, being at the date included within the precinct of the monastery and therefore useless, was dismantled". (2a) The church tower which stood over part of Queningate Lane, appears to haveremained for at least another century and a half. Nos 2 and 4 (sic) Burgate Street, the houses adjacent to the city wall probably occupy the site of the nave. (2) St Michael Burgate: extant by 1200 (3a) and probably originally stood over Burgate [TR 15 NE 85]. Probably rebuilt on north side of BurgateStreet just west of the gate when the latter was rebuilt in 1475. The parish was united with St George in 1516 and the body of the church was apparently pulled down soon after. Tower stood, over the south end of Queningate Lane until the late 17th century. (3)

Gardiner, D., 1935, St Michael's, Canterbury (Article in serial). SKE30271.

Urry, W., 1967, Canterbury under the Angevin Kings (Monograph). SKE28529.

Tatton-Brown, Tim., 1980, Canterbury Parish Churches (Unpublished document). SKE28328.

Elder, J. & Duncan, M., 2002, Canterbury City Wall Trail (Monograph). SKE29730.

<1> The Arch of Cant 2 1982 89 (SS Frere S Stow and P Bennett) (OS Card Reference). SKE49965.

<2> Arch Cant 47 1935 166-9 (D Gardiner) (OS Card Reference). SKE35214.

<3> Hist Mss Commision Rep ix App 1 120 (OS Card Reference). SKE43914.

<4> CBA Churches Comm Bull 24 1989 - compiled 1984 - (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38769.