Church Of St Margaret

Church of St Margaret

This is a parish church of 14th-century origin, substantially altered and extended over subsequent centuries. The church underwent significant modifications in the 15th century with the addition of a south porch, refenestration, and the raising of walls with a clerestory. A north chapel was added in the early 17th century, and the chancel was restored in 1896.

The building is constructed of flint rubble with ashlar dressings and knapped flint, with a red brick north chapel. Roofing includes stone flags over the nave, slate over the chancel, and asbestos over the aisles. The cement rendering to the north is a later addition. The church comprises a nave with north and south aisles, chancel, west tower, south porch, and north chapel.

The four-stage west tower dominates the western elevation. It features a double plinth with an ashlar band and is buttressed by four-stage diagonal buttresses to the west and straight buttresses to the east. A semi-octagonal stair turret runs to two lower stages on the south side with a lancet in the second stage. The tower displays a two-light Perpendicular window to the west with a hoodmould continued as a string course. A second string course marks the second stage, which contains a small louvred cusped lancet with a continued hoodmould. A further string course runs to the belfry. The belfry openings have two cusped ogee-headed lights with quatrefoils set within segmental pointed arched heads and hoodmoulds; some tracery is now broken. The top of the tower is finished with a cornice supporting a chequerwork parapet.

The nave clerestory displays four two-light windows to each side with cusped lights and traceried segmental pointed arched heads set with brick voussoirs. The nave's east end is rendered, with a small blocked light near the apex of the gable.

The south aisle contains three broad three-light Perpendicular windows with a continuous string course at sill level. The centre window is partially blocked by the south porch. Two-stage diagonal buttresses rise at the corners. To the west is a tall two-light pointed arched 14th-century window with cusped ogee lights and a quatrefoil at the head, finished with a mask-stopped hoodmould. To the east stands a large 14th-century three-light window with a pointed arched head and complex curvilinear tracery, also with a mask-stopped hoodmould.

The south porch features an outer pointed arch with inner chamfer and outer ovolo moulding. The semi-octagonal responds have moulded caps and bases with a mask-stopped hoodmould. Above the arch sits a small cusped niche, and a shallow gable with string course supports an embattled parapet finished with chequerwork. Two-stage diagonal buttresses flank the returns, which contain blocked two-light Perpendicular windows with mask-stopped hoodmoulds. Within the porch is a stoup with a cusped ogee head and an inner double wave-moulded pointed arch with mask-stopped hoodmould. The original door is traceried with cusping and crocketing, retaining an early iron ring handle. The porch interior has a two-bay arch-braced roof.

The north aisle mirrors the south aisle with three similar windows. To the west of centre is a pointed arched door with wave and hollow mouldings and a hoodmould. To the west lies a two-stage diagonal buttress alongside a 14th-century two-light window matching those on the south aisle.

The low chancel features a parapet with a ridge cross and two-stage diagonal buttresses. The south side displays two 14th-century two-light windows with cusped ogee lights and curvilinear tracery in segmental pointed arched heads with hoodmoulds. A low side door with scroll and roll moulds in a pointed arch marks the centre, with a two-stage buttress beside it. To the north is a blocked window adjacent to the early 17th-century north chapel, which has an offset brick plinth with a further offset at sill level. A segmental pointed arched three-light window with intersecting tracery and outer cavetto moulding lights the chapel to the north, with an 18th-century architrave featuring key and impost blocks surmounted by a cornice. The rebuilt embattled parapet is finished with octagonal turrets at the angles. The east return contains a blocked window with matching architrave.

Interior

The interior reveals a pointed chancel arch with inner chamfer and outer wave moulding, supported by semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps. A pointed tower arch with double chamfer and outer hollow moulding rises on similar responds.

The four-bay nave arcades are formed by octagonal piers with moulded caps and bases, supporting double-chamfered pointed arches. Some piers retain traces of original painting depicting figures beneath ogee canopies.

The nave roof consists of eight bays with alternating tiebeam and hammerbeam trusses. A roll moulding at sill level in the clerestory rests on semi-octagonal corbel shafts supporting the posts. Moulded arched braces lead to cambered tie beams. Above the clerestory windows, short posts support brattished hammerbeams with small arched braces to moulded principals. Moulded butt purlins run throughout, with coved and brattished wall plates beneath. The angels that once decorated these trusses have been removed. The lean-to aisle roofs feature moulded principals and purlins. The chancel received a late 19th-century scissor-braced roof. The 17th-century chapel roof displays crossed ovolo-moulded beams with a heavily moulded central pendant and smaller drops at beam ends and angles.

The chancel contains a 14th-century window to the north now opening into the chapel, with tracery matching the south windows. The rear arch of the east window has shafted ring-capped jambs. The chancel's south wall preserves a restored 14th-century piscina with an octafoil bowl, cusped ogee head, crocketed finial and pinnacles. Sedilia below the adjacent window retain a cusped arched head of which a crocketed pinnacle survives. At the north-east angle of the nave, a pointed arched doorway leads to the rood stair behind which is a quatrefoil opening and a restored piscina with cusped head and traceried spandrels. The rood stair projection is brattished.

The south chapel's south wall contains a 14th-century piscina with a quatrefoil bowl, cusped ogee head, and restored crocketed finial and pinnacles. A depressed arched opening from the north aisle to the north chapel replaces a former window. Within the tower, a pointed arched stair turret doorway is fitted with an iron door bearing multiple crossed iron bands. An early ladder is visible above. Traces of 17th-century wall painting with an inscription appear above the south entrance.

A 14th-century parclose screen divides the south chapel, with lower panels showing traces of floral painting and open upper panels featuring ringed shafts supporting varied traceried heads with pointed and ogee arches and some circle tracery. The cornice is brattished with traces of original paint remaining.

The nave contains a plain octagonal font on two steps with moulding below the bowl and a 17th-century pyramidal timber cover featuring a lower quilloche band and moulded ribs leading to a pinnacle. A 15th-century semi-octagonal pulpit with a restored base has two panels with traceried heads and a 17th-century leaf-ornamented capping. The north aisle contains a 17th-century box pew with fielded panelled sides and turned finials at the angles. A wrought iron screen with three foliate finials spans the north chapel entrance. The chapel floor is laid with early 19th-century painted floral slabs.

Some early benches survive with ball-headed ends, and a poppy-headed end remains in the nave. Other benches have been reused in the choir stalls, which feature 19th-century traceried frontals. An early segmental-headed chest with iron bands is retained. The altar table top comprises an old stone mensa.

The north aisle displays Royal Arms of George II dated 1751, and above the north door is a painted inscription for Westhorpe Charity Estates dated 1844. In the south aisle, a chamfered pointed arched recess contains a simple Purbeck marble slab reputed to be the tomb of Henry de Elmham (c.1330). The north aisle contains an early floriated cross slab.

Monuments and Memorials

A mural in the nave attached to the north arcade pier commemorates N. Fox (died 1679) and M. Fox (died 1676), with crudely inscribed panels and marble surrounds, arms above, and a rustic skull and festoon below on a console. Brass insets are set into the nave floor.

The north chapel's east wall is dominated by a large marble monument to M. Barrow (died 1666), executed by M. and H. Shelton. It comprises a life-size semi-reclining figure upon a chest tomb with moulded base and capping. Behind stands a mural with a circular Latin inscription within a wreath border, curtains held back by large flying putti. A segmentally raised cornice surmounts arms flanked by putti and urns. An inscription on the chest tomb serves as Shelton's signature. A wrought iron grille surrounds the monument.

The chancel's north wall bears a mural to W. Barrow (died 1613) in painted alabaster, showing kneeling figures with arms and seraphs within an aedicular surround with arms in a separate aedicule above and an inscribed panel below. A small alabaster tablet to M. Dandy (died 1615) with arms is positioned on the east wall. A small inscribed brass plaque to R. Elcock (died 1630) with arms within a surround is affixed to the south wall.