Church Of St Margaret

The Church of St. Margaret is a parish church with medieval origins, largely restored in 1900. It comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, a north vestry, and an organ chamber. The exterior is constructed of flint rubble, with remnants of plasterwork on the north sides of the nave and chancel. Stone dressings are visible, and the roofs are covered in plaintiles.

The early 14th-century tower is unbuttressed, consisting of two stages of roughly equal height, with the upper stage set back and tapered, culminating in a crenellated parapet. A 2-light west window features cusped Y tracery, and the bell chamber has 2-light openings also with Y tracery. The north nave displays 12th-century coursed rubble, with various 14th and 15th-century windows, most of which have been restored. A well-preserved, unrestored 2-light 14th-century window with carved label stops is situated on the north side. The porch dates to the 15th century, and the nave doorway is also 15th-century, displaying panels with cusped heads and tracery. The chancel, likely from the 14th century, has two 2-light windows with Y tracery, and a 5-light east window, probably dating from the 1900 restoration.

Inside, the nave features a late 19th-century scissor-braced rafter roof, while the chancel has a boarded ceiling. The north-east nave window sits within a large shafted recess, though the eastern portion is missing. A niche is visible in the south-west nave, once belonging to a banner stave locker. The south sanctuary contains a trefoil-headed piscina, its arch supported by corbels. A 15th-century octagonal font has a carved bowl depicting the Signs of the Evangelists and angels with shields. A 15th-century rood screen exists, with a dado featuring 12 panels painted with the apostles (heavily restored); the upper part of the screen has been altered, and its original vaulting removed. The choir stalls incorporate 15th-century traceried woodwork and poppyhead ends.

A notable marble wall monument commemorates Sir Thomas Playters (died 1638), created by Edward Marshall, master mason to Charles II. It depicts Sir Thomas facing two wives in profile, with a frieze illustrating their 22 children, including a baby, and is framed by black marble columns. A chest commemorates William Playters (died 1512) and his wife, featuring a brass inscription and foiled panels with brass shields and effigies. Several brass effigies of members of the Playter family are also present, including Thomas Playter (died 1479) and his wife. Four hatchments are displayed in the nave, alongside fragments of 15th-century stained glass, including two intact figures in the west window.