Church Of St Margaret

SO 51 NE WELSH BICKNOR CP WELSH BICKNOR

6/168 Church of St Margaret

GV II*

Parish church. Ancient site, church rebuilt 1858-9 by T Henry Rushforth of London for the rector Stephen Allaway. Coursed and squared sandstone rubble, ashlar dressings, marble enrichments to interior, tiled roof, stone roof to porch. West porch, south-west tower, nave and chancel with north vestry. Imaginative Norman and Early English style with "muscular" effects owing something to Street. West gabled orch with polychrome pointed arched doorway of three orders, engaged shafts to responds with stiff-leaf capitals, niche with inset figure in gable. Square plan tower spurred base, three stages, two string courses with stiff-leaf decorated corbel table and elongated animal forms at corners, short broached spire, two plain single light windows to first stage; single light semi-circular headed window with engaged shafts and stiff-leaf capitals to responds, arcading to bell stage, in similar style. Nave, three bays Norman style west end with four semi-circular headed single light windows with chevron ornament to surrounds, circular window in gable with similar chevron ornament. One 2-light and one single light window to south side with similar engaged shafts and stiff-leaf capitals to responds, similar 2-light window to two-bay chancel with doorway further to east. Interior: king post roof with head shaped corbels. Triforium arcade at west end, solid central pier with elaborate marble capital (heads and foliage) to two-bay arcade of south aisle, decorative chancel arch with bird motifs. Fittings: pulpit, entered from vestry, with polychrome marble insets and heads, similar enrichments to font. Late C14 effigy in recess to east wall of south aisle (resited from earlier church) a lady largely defaced with angels supporting cushion, feet resting on animal, angular folds to clothing in style of Westminster and Wells; thought to be Lady Margaret Montague who may (or may not) have been nurse to the infant Henry V at Courtfield (qv). Stained glass windows in west wall represent single biblical figures; excellent stained glass in east window probably by Clayton and Bell. A most interesting High Victorian church combining constructional polychromy with idealising details of high quality particularly inside.

Listing NGR: SO5922817675