Church Of St Margaret

The Church of St Margaret, formerly known as the Church of St Mary, is a Grade I listed building located on Bethersden Road in Hothfield. It is constructed from Kentish ragstone and features a chancel with north and south chapels, a nave with aisles, and a west tower topped with a shingled spire. The interior is notable for having no arches separating the chancel from the nave or the chapels from the aisles, and it consists of a three-bay nave.

The church contains medieval work from various periods but suffered significant damage from lightning in the late 16th century or early 17th century. It was subsequently rebuilt by Sir John Tufton, who died in 1642 and is interred within the church. The north and south chapels were added in 1876 during a restoration of the entire church. Notable features include a credence and aumbry, a cinquefoil-headed piscina, and traces of sedilia.

The church is historically significant as it is where "The Lost Chord" was composed and first played on the organ when Sir Arthur Sullivan was a guest of Lord and Lady Hothfield. The churchyard is home to several 18th-century stone headstones adorned with hourglass, skull, and cherub motifs, as well as oval bodystones.