Church Of St Margaret

1. COWLINGE Church of St Margaret 2006 TL 75 SW 6/144 19.12.61.

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1. Dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. A mainly C14 flint and stone rubble church with stone dressings. The clerestorey is C15 and the red brick square west tower is C18. In the C17 the west tower collapsed and it was replaced by the present red brick tower in 1733 which was built by Francis Dickens of Branches Park (As stated on a stone tablet in the gallery). The aisles are lead roofed and the nave and chancel roofs are tiled. The nave has kingpost roof trusses. The north and south doors are original. The greater part of the mediaeval rood screen (circa 1400) remains. This, and the screen in Lavenham Church are the only surviving examples in Suffolk of screens with original gates and hinges. On each side of the chancel arch there is a squint and above the arch there are traces of a large mediaeval wall painting depicting the last judgement. The parclose screen in the south aisle is of later date than the chancel screen. The font is C14, octagonal, with quatrefoil ornamentation in the panels. In the west gallery there is a hatchment of King George II and on the south wall one of Henry Usborne who lived at Branches Park and was High Sherriff of the County in 1823. There is a marble monument to Frances Dickens (died 1840) with seated figures of himself and his wife. At the west end of the north aisle there are plain wooden benches which were provided for inmates of a local house of correction. Above the benches there is an interesting tablet which states :- "MEM DM THAT AT A VISIT ACTION HOULD EN AT COWLINGE THE 2 DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF O LORD 1618 IT WAS NACTED WITH THE CONSENTE OF THE CHURCH WARDENS THAT IT SHOULD BE LAWFUL FOR THOMAS WOLRYCH ESQUIER TO ERECT AND BUILD UP CERTEINE SEATES BEHIND THE NORTH CHURCH DORE FOR THE USE OF THE KEEPER OF THE CORRECTION HOUSE IN COWLINGE AFORESAIDE AND THE PRISONERS THEREIN AND SO TO CONTINEWE".

Listing NGR: TL7184654931