Parish Church Of St Margaret Of Antioch

Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch

This is a parish church dating mainly from the 14th century, with significant later alterations. The building stands on Church Lane in Toppesfield.

The walls are constructed of flint rubble, plastered, with limestone and clunch dressings. The west tower is built of red and blue bricks in Flemish bond. The north porch is timber framed. All roofs are covered with handmade red clay tiles.

The nave is of uncertain date and was lengthened towards the west. The south aisle was added around 1300. The north wall was partly rebuilt in the 15th century, except for a short length on each side of the north doorway. The chancel dates to the late 14th century. Both north and south porches are 15th century. The west tower and west gallery were constructed in 1699. A south vestry was added and general restoration carried out in the 19th century.

The chancel's axis is deflected towards the south. The east window is 19th century except for the internal splays and hollow-chamfered rear-arch which are late 14th century. The north wall contains two windows, mostly 19th century. The south wall has three windows: the easternmost is 15th century (restored), of two cinquefoiled lights under a square head with moulded label; the middle window is 19th century; the westernmost is late 14th century, of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with moulded label. The lower part of the westernmost window formed a low-side window, rebated for a shutter. The chancel-arch is late 14th century, two-centred with two chamfered orders. The responds have each a semi-octagonal attached shaft with moulded capital and base.

The nave's north wall contains three windows: the two eastern windows are late 15th century (restored), each of three cinquefoiled lights under a square head with moulded label; the westernmost is 19th century. Between the westernmost and middle windows is the north doorway, dating to around 1300, with moulded jambs and two-centred arch. The south arcade dates to around 1330 and comprises four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders. The octagonal columns have moulded capitals and bases. The east respond has an attached half-column (restored), and the west respond is chamfered with a moulded corbel on a carved head. East of the arcade is a plain doorway to the former rood-loft, blocked on the north side. The nave roof has four tiebeams, one of which is moulded and carved with running foliage, dating to around 1500.

In the south aisle, the east window is 20th century. The south wall contains three windows, which are 19th century except for 15th-century internal splays and rear-arches. Between the two westernmost windows is the south doorway, dating to around 1330, with moulded jambs and two-centred arch; the moulded label has defaced head-stops. In the west wall is a 15th-century window (restored) of two cinquefoiled lights under a square head with moulded label. The aisle roof is late 15th century, built in four bays with cambered tiebeams at half-bay intervals. All tiebeams are moulded with moulded braces to the main ties and foliate carving in the spandrels. Three of the eight bridging beams and about half the rafters are moulded; the remainder are plain-chamfered with lamb's tongue stops, dating to the 17th century.

The west tower is built of brick in Flemish bond with contrasting red stretchers and blue headers in the main walls, and red brick in the clasping buttresses. It rises in three stages separated by dentilled bands, with a parapet of two concave curves on each side and eight pinnacles with plain pyramidal caps. The tower-arch is of one chamfered semi-circular order continued down the responds; the two outer orders of the responds continue upwards to form a square head with plain spandrels. The west window is now of one square-headed light with diamond leading and some early glass, but formerly had a mullion. The second stage has in the east wall a doorway from the gallery; above the nave roof is a square sunk panel. The north and south walls each have an elliptical window with a square sunk panel above it. In the west wall is a round-headed window and below it a stone slab inscribed "To the memory of Mr. Robert Wilde late Rector of this Parish who gave 100 l. towards ye building ye steple Anno 1699", with the names of the rector, churchwarden and bricklayer. A plain timber gallery in four bays occupies the west end of the nave, with stairs rising from inside the tower and further stairs rising from the gallery to the entrance in the second stage, all with flat balusters, contemporary with the tower. The gallery front has been refaced with reused panelling and fluted pilasters, dating to the 18th or 19th century.

The north porch is timber framed with moulded posts at each angle. The entrance archway has moulded posts and a four-centred head with foliate carved spandrels. Above is a moulded and crenellated tiebeam, and a gable formed of hollow-moulded studs slotted for vertical planks. The roof is of king-post construction with a moulded ridge-piece, wallplates and rafters, partly restored. The lower parts of the side walls are built up with cement-rendered brickwork. The south porch is of masonry dating to the 15th century, with a crenellated parapet and a grotesque gargoyle on the west side. The outer archway and east and west windows are mostly 19th century.

The interior contains several notable features. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina with hollow-chamfered jambs and broach stops, cinquefoiled head, stone shelf and octofoiled drain, and in range with it two sedilia in similar style, all late 14th century. Further west is an altar-tomb with cusped cross in relief and recessed canopy with cinquefoiled and sub-cusped arch of segmental-pointed form, late 14th century. There is a piscina in the south wall of the south aisle with chamfered jambs, cinquefoiled head, cinquefoiled drain, and basin broken off, dating to the 14th century. On the north sides of the arcade columns are inscribed consecration crosses formy in circles, dating to around 1330.

The east window of the south aisle contains 15th-century glass depicting a kneeling angel with censer, fragments of a female saint and censing angel, probably part of the Coronation of the Virgin. The font has an octagonal bowl cut down and an octagonal stem with square top of reused stone, possibly 13th century.

The chancel contains a brass to William Cracherod, 1585, and Elizabeth his wife, 1587, inscription only, partly covered by the organ. On the east wall is a monument to Richard King, S.T.P., vicar of the parish and chaplain to James I, a black and white marble tablet, undated. On the north wall is a monument to Dorcas, wife of William Smyth and widow of William Bigg, 1633, a brown marble tablet with pilasters, cornice and broken pediment enclosing a beehive. Floor slabs in the chancel commemorate: Elizabeth, wife of Christopher Erle, 1655; Mordaunt Cracherod, 1666, below the choir stalls; Robert Wilde, rector, 1690, with shield of arms; and Thomas Willet, rector, 1730, and his son John, 1731. Another floor slab is covered by the altar steps, with only the date 1793 visible. On the north wall of the tower are the arms of Queen Anne on canvas, incorrectly repainted in the 19th century, framed.

The church contains five bells: the first by Henry Pleasant, 1702; the second, third and fourth by Anthony Bartlet, 1675.