Church Of St Margaret Of Antioch

The Church of St. Margaret of Antioch was built between 1888 and 1891 and designed by Hicks and Charlewood. It is constructed of hammer-dressed snecked sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, and has plain clay tile roofs. The church is in a Decorated style, featuring reticulated and geometric tracery. It comprises an aisled continuous nave and chancel, a south porch, a west baptistry and porch, and a sanctus bell turret.

The south aisle of the nave has five bays separated by buttresses, with a doorway in the western bay and three windows to the north aisle. Gable copings define the division between the nave and chancel. The interior features five-bay nave arcades with octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches under a continuous hoodmould. Moulded wall plates displaying scriptural inscriptions are present, as are panelled barrel roofs to the nave and chancel, and panelled aisle roofs with carved bosses. Pine panelling, with an embattled top rail, rises to sill height in the aisles. The chamfered chancel arch leads to two-bay chancel arcades with foliate capitals, which hold glazed and panelled screens. An organ chamber and vestry are located in the north aisle, and a Lady Chapel in the south aisle. Carved wood choir stalls with poppy-head ends are also present, alongside a two-bay timber sedilia and an enriched stone credence niche. The church contains a heavily carved stone reredos dating from 1902, featuring six pinnacled towers with figures of saints in niches, separated by five bays holding paintings of saints and a landscape of 1923. A tripartite arcade connects the nave to the baptistry/porch. Stained glass is found in the east window (1897, by P. Bacon Bros. of London), the south aisle (late 19th century, by C.J. Baguley of Newcastle), the Lady Chapel’s east window (1932, by Wm. Glasby of London), and the baptistry, west window, and north aisle. Two bells, one dated 1778 and the other possibly medieval, are housed in the south porch with crown hangings.