Church Of St Margaret

The Church of St. Margaret is a parish church located in Draycott-in-the-Moors. It dates from the late 13th century, with possible alterations in the 16th century and significant refacing around 1848, potentially by Augustus Pugin. The church is constructed from coursed, dressed, and squared red sandstone, featuring tiled roofs on the chancel and north chapel, while the nave roof is hidden behind a decorative parapet.

The structure includes a west tower, nave, aisles, a south porch, chancel, and north chapel. The tower has a 13th-century base with a 16th-century superstructure. It is short and broad, consisting of approximately three stages, with stepped-in sections at the center. The tower features diagonal buttresses with seven stages and a crenellated parapet that has gargoyles on the north and south sides. The bell chamber has deep-reveal, Tudor arched, two-light openings, with small lancets on the center stage and a pointed Y-tracery window on the south side. There are no windows or doors on the west side.

The nave and aisles form a single unit with a low-pitched roof, divided into three bays by two-stage buttresses. Most of the north wall appears to be late 19th century, with large pointed, labelled windows of three lights and curvilinear tracery. The south-west entrance features a gabled porch, with diagonal buttresses at the corners and small lancets above the labelled pointed entrances.

The chancel has a similar ridge height to the nave but features a steeply pitched roof and low eaves. It is late 19th century, consisting of two bays divided by two-stage buttresses. The south side is partially obscured by a gabled vestry, while the north side is completely obscured by the Draycott chapel. The chancel has a small, pointed two-light window in the south-east bay and a pointed labelled east window adorned with cinquefoils set in petal shapes at the top.

The Draycott Chapel, which is lower than the chancel, dates from the late 13th century and consists of two bays with a gabled east side. It features three-stage angle buttresses and pointed windows with one and two lights on the north side, along with a three-light pointed window that is rounded at the head on the east side. The interior was inaccessible at the time of the resurvey.