Church Of St Margaret

KING'S LYNN

TF6119NE SATURDAY MARKET PLACE 610-1/9/197 (South side) 01/12/51 Church of St Margaret

GV I

Benedictine Priory founded 1095, now a parish church. Rebuilt during C13, altered continuously since. Exterior mostly C15. Central lantern and south-west spire collapsed 1741. Substantial internal rebuilding 1745-46 by Matthew Brettingham. Restored 1875 by Scott. Limestone. Lead roofs. Twin west towers, nave, aisles, transepts with crossing tower, aisled chancel. West front with central arched door under crenellated surround. Above is a Perpendicular 7-light window. 3-stage south-west tower complete to ringing chamber by c1260: bundled buttresses, Norman interlace to lower stages gives way to trefoiled C13 arcading, then to 2-light ringing chamber windows, terminating in bar tracery of the C14 belfry stage. Crenellated parapet with pinnacles. North-west tower also Norman in lower courses but rebuilt 1453: indeterminate stage divisions, clasping buttresses, small 3-light Perpendicular windows. Crenellated parapet. Remains of an outer north aisle abut, lit through a 5-light west window. 5-bay nave aisles and clerestory added 1472-83, the north aisle by Roger Cony. 3-light Perpendicular windows under basket arches. Short projecting transepts with hints of Norman work. Large Perpendicular principal windows. Squat crossing tower which carried a timber lantern until storm of 1741. 3-bay north chancel aisle 1394, 5-bay south aisle 1433. Three-light windows and basket arches again. 10-bay chancel clerestory with similar fenestration. Chancel east end has polygonal tower buttresses gripping the corners. Rose east window of 1875. INTERIOR. 6-bay nave arcade. West bay is round-arched on compound piers with scalloped, stiff-leaf and water-leaf capitals and undercut arch mouldings. South-west tower with bundled piers. North-west tower with Perpendicular piers and details. Remainder of arcade of quatrefoil piers standing on Norman bases. Roof is 1745: tie beams on arched braces. Stiff-leaf capitals to crossing arch piers. Chancel clerestory has wall passage and remains of Early English arcading. C14 screens between chancel and its aisles, C16 screen in north transept. Mid C18 pulpit. Organ case by Sneltzer, 1754. The 2 largest brasses in England. One to Adam Walsoken and wife of 1349, both in civil dress. No space undecorated; post windmill depicted in lower left predella scene. Flemish. Other to Robert Braunche and 2 wives. 1364. Civil dress. Similar decorative frenzy and also Flemish.

Listing NGR: TF6177219806