Church of St Margaret

SO 49 NW 5/44

RATLINGHOPE CP RATLINGHOPE Church of St Margaret

21.03.68

II Parish church. Medieval origins, rebuilt early C17 and c.1788, restored in mid to late C19 and again more thoroughly in 1904-05. Coursed and uncoursed rubble (largely quartzite to south and local limestone to north), slate roof. Nave and chancel in one with belfry at west end; south porch and lean-to vestry at north west corner of nave.

Nave: two windows on south, early C20 lancets with foliated label-stops to the hoodmoulds; weatherboarded belfry with pyramidal cap and weathervane; in the west wall a tablet records the restoration and re-opening of the church in 1905, below this a wide round headed window, also of 1905.

Chancel: one lancet in south wall in same style as those in nave, contemporary three-light east window. Gabled south porch with segmental arch covers an early C17 round headed doorway; the door itself is nail studded and has the inscription "Anno Domini 1625 made and given by Humphrey Biggs and Tho. Bright then Churchwardens."

INTERIOR: tie- and collar-beam roof in four bays with double purlins, the two western trusses probably being early C17; oak communion table with initials TD CP JW 1844 may in fact be rather older; mid C18 wrought-iron communion rail and some contemporary oak panelling re-used as wainscoting at the east end and around the walls of the nave. The plain octagonal font comes from Great Hanwood; all the other furnishings and stained glass are of 1905.

Until the Dissolution the church served the Augustinian Priory, established here during C12 and which by c.1209 had become a dependent cell of Wigmore Abbey (Herefs.).

Listing NGR: SO4026496891