Church Of St Margaret Hardley

The Church of St Margaret is a parish church largely dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, with some fabric from the 12th century. It is constructed of flint, partially rendered and with red brick, and has limestone dressings. The roofs are slate-covered. The church comprises a round west tower, a nave, a chancel, a north porch, and a north vestry.

The west tower is of 12th-century origin, with later additions. It has a small western lancet window and bell openings that are also lancets with chamfered reveals. The bell openings are dressed in red brick with a rubbed arch and dripmould. The tower is embattled with red brick, featuring roll-moulded copings. It is not co-axial with the nave, which suggests a north aisle was once incorporated into the nave. The nave and chancel each have two 2-light windows from the 15th century on their south sides, separated by stepped buttresses. A 14th-century doorway is located on the north side of the nave. The east gable of the nave has been extensively rebuilt at the south-east corner, featuring a coped gable parapet with moulded stone kneelers. Diagonal buttresses are present on the east gable, alongside a 4-light 15th-century east window; the cill of this window appears to have been raised. A 19th-century red brick vestry is situated on the north side of the chancel, with a parapeted north gable and an internal chimney with an octagonal shaft. It has two small lancet windows with leaded iron-framed casements in the gable. There are three 15th-century 2-light windows in the north wall of the nave and chancel, the westernmost nave window being square-headed and likely of earlier date. The north porch has been rebuilt, with a 14th-century ogee-headed entrance arch in brick. A niche with a cusped head sits above the entrance, while a blocked single-light window is also visible in the west wall of the porch.

Inside, the nave and chancel have plastered ceilings and arch-braced roofs supported by castellated wall corbels. The chancel roof has short wall posts and roll-moulded purlins. A roof stair is located at the south-east corner of the nave. The screen is likely of 15th-century origin, though much restored, with the remains of one original panel on the south side. 18th-century panelled pews are set alongside the surviving poppyhead benches. A 15th-century piscina and dropped cill sedilia are present in the south wall of the chancel. A stoup adjoins the south nave doorway. The chancel windows are set within large arched recesses. A painted consecration cross is on the west wall of the nave, and a depiction of St Christopher is on the north wall. A good heraldic brass memorial is located in the chancel, dedicated to Drake William Playters, who died in 1632. Also in the chancel is a good 15th-century octagonal font, resting on two risers, the upper one with quatrefoil tracery. The font is decorated with four lions, the symbols of the Evangelists, and four angels around the bowl.