Church Heritage Record 618123

The dedication to St Margaret of Antioch is fairly rare; however, according to the RCHME the church was formerly dedicated to St Mary. The oldest parts are the tower and nave, which date from about 1200. The chancel was rebuilt in two phases in the thirteenth century, altered in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century and heavily restored in the nineteenth century. In the mid-fourteenth century a south porch was added, followed in about 1400 with the top stage of the tower (when new bells were cast). The last medieval phase was the addition of the north aisle and north transept chapel, usually dated to the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century; however, there is evidence that the  aisle at least was remodelled rather than rebuilt at this time (see description, below). One element has been lost at some stage; according to the RCHME there was a vestry in the angle between the transept and the chancel, of which traces are said to remain in the east wall of the transept.

There appear to be no photographs or illustrations showing the internal appearance of the church before its late nineteenth century restorations. The first of these was by Ewan Christian, architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and involved extensive refacing/rebuilding of the chancel. This took place in 1883-4; the builder was William Cullis of Hereford. Restoration of the nave followed in 1887, undertaken by Thomas Nicholson, Diocesan Architect. Nicholson’s restoration of the medieval fabric was fairly conservative, although the RCHME notes that the eastern half of the south wall of the nave appears to have been rebuilt. The few surviving medieval furnishings (font, some remains of medieval glass, piscina, tomb recess) were retained, but apart from the monuments and the pulpit there was less concern for the post-medieval furnishings; seventeenth century box pews and a western gallery were removed, with new bench seating provided over an encaustic tile floor (by William Godwin & Sons of Lugwardine) and underfloor heating system (Mitchell’s Patent Reverberating Smoke Consuming Hypocaust for Warming Churches). A vestry was formed at the west end of the north aisle. The provision of new seating was financially supported by the Incorporated Church Building Society (Nicholson’s submitted plan is at figure 2), with the usual proviso that all the seats would be free. The estimated cost of £1,400 was financed by voluntary contributions; this church has seldom benefitted from a wealthy patron.

The tower was restored and the bells rehung in 1912-13, at a cost of £640 (brass plate in tower). A photograph in the parish’s possession taken prior to this shows most of the west face of the tower rendered. There was a further major tower repair programme in 2010. Other more recent works have included the removal of benches from the north transept and from the west end of the nave, and the relocation (return) of the font to a position close to the south entrance. 

The tower dates from c.1200 (three lower stages) and c.1400 (upper stage); its Norman design is, as many have noted, curious. It has a high plinth on three sides, incorporating on the south side a triangular headed doorway (which the RCHME suggests is eighteenth century). The ground stage has ashlar-faced clasping and intermediate buttresses continuing part way through the otherwise plain first stage, this detail resuming (with variations) at the second stage. The buttresses have angle shafts with foliated or scalloped capitals. Unusually, the intermediate buttresses are each pierced by a round-headed window. There are also round-headed windows on three sides of the second stage, with a second one, now blocked, higher up on the south side. The third (belfry) stage is ashlar-faced and has two larger round-headed windows on each side; it is capped by a corbel table, from the centre of which a short wall shaft extends downwards on each side. The later top stage is plain, with an embattled parapet.

The nave is also of c.1200, with later alterations. It has a large raking buttress at the southwest corner and three windows on the south side, each of two lights with trefoiled heads. That to the west of the door appears to be fourteenth century, the other two restored in the nineteenth century. Between these windows is the south porch, perhaps added at the same time as the reconfiguration of the south windows; it construction required the blocking of an original round-arched window, still visible internally. The porch has diagonal corner buttresses, a moulded entrance of four orders and single-light windows with trefoiled heads on either side. Its timber roof is a fine piece of medieval carpentry, of two trussed bays with king posts, moulded ogee tie beams, cusped collars, trefoil-headed wind braces and longitudinal arch braces. The round-headed south door within this porch dates from c.1200; it has a plain surround with fluted imposts and roll mouldings. The doors, with elaborate strap hinges, are nineteenth century.

The north aisle is said to date from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, but incorporates a Norman door, similarly detailed to the south door. This is possibly reset, but there is further evidence inside that the aisle might be older than it appears. Otherwise the external detailing is typically late-medieval, with square-headed two-light windows with cinquefoil heads. Apparently contemporary with this, the adjoining north transept has a large three-light trefoil-headed north window with cusped tracery. Two similar but taller two-light windows face east and west. On its east roof slope is a tall decorative chimney stack, relating to the heating system installed in 1887.

The chancel dates from the thirteenth century, but was heavily restored by Ewan Christian in 1883-4 (the date is recorded on the rainwater heads). Near its junction with the transept can be seen original quoins. Some of the window tracery appears to have been retained/reset by Christian, but the three-light east window (similar to that on the north side of the transept) looks largely renewed. On the north side is a tall, blocked triangular-headed door (originally leading to what the RCHME describes as a vestry, no longer extant) and a narrow lancet window. On the south side is a priest’s door (also triangular headed), three trefoil-headed lancets, and a two-light trefoil-headed window (similar to those in the north transept). The gable end of the nave shows evidence of an earlier, steeper chancel roof; Christian may have rebuilt it.

Inside, the church is wide and light. There is no stained glass apart from some medieval fragments in the chancel; otherwise the windows have late nineteenth century light tinted glass. The walls are plastered and painted; there is no visible evidence of medieval or later wall paintings. A blocked round-headed Norman window on the south side of the nave was possibly exposed at the time of Nicholson’s restoration. At the east end, the rounded chancel arch of c. 1200 is slightly squashed; it has an outer rounded order and an inner chamfered one (on the chancel side the outer order is of tufa). The responds have attached semi-octagonal shafts each with a shaped capital with chamfered abacus. At the other end, the tower arch also appears to be of.1200, and is similarly detailed, except that it has a later, pointed arch. The open wagon nave roof dates from the fifteenth century, restored by Nicholson in 1887. It is of trussed rafter type, with moulded and embattled wall plates, alternating plain and moulded curved braces, moulded purlins. Square bosses at the main intersections are carved with the green man etc.

The north aisle is usually dated to the fifteenth or early sixteenth century, although it has a Norman north door (not apparent from the gently cambered arch on its inner face, of sixteenth century or later character) and above this is a blocked Norman window. Furthermore, Pevsner (1963) notes that while the octagonal piers of the north arcade are late medieval character, the double hollow-chamfered arches they support are of thirteenth century character. Might there have been an aisle in c.1200, of transitional character, which was remodelled rather than rebuilt in the late fifteenth/early sixteenth century? The aisle roof is unusual; of six bays with quatrefoiled wind braces. Pevsner questions whether it really can be fifteenth century, but does not offer an alternative date. 

On the eastern respond of the eastern arcade is a small shallow niche, with a moulded and trefoiled head. Giving off this bay, and apparently contemporary with the aisle (or with its remodelling) is the north transept. This has an open wagon roof with some original carved bosses at the junction of the rafters and arch braces. On the east wall near the arcade, a curved recess marks the position of the former rood stair, with a small loop window in its upper part. This opens up to a triangular-headed opening to the rood loft in front of the chancel arch.

The chancel is of early thirteenth-century date, evidenced by the narrow lancet window on the north side. Other windows are of the later thirteenth, fourteenth and, in the case of the restored east window, fifteenth centuries. The north door is largely hidden by the organ. Alongside it is a low fourteenth century recess, probably for a tomb, with segmental-pointed arch, foliage stops and finial. In the east wall is a nicely-detailed thirteenth century piscina, its corbel carved with foliage, and on the south wall is a recess fitted with a piece of traceried oak, possibly from the old rood screen. The chancel roof is boarded (nineteenth century), possibly associated with an entire roof reconstruction by Christian.

The church is built of sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, under stone slate roofs. It consists of a western tower, nave with south porch, north aisle and transept, and chancel.

, The only surviving medieval features and furnishings are:

• The late fourteenth century font, with an octagonal bowl, plain stem and moulded base.
• Fragments of reset fifteenth century stained glass in the tracery of the southeast window of the chancel, with the head of an abbot holding a crozier, part of an inscription, crown, stars etc.

Post-medieval features and furnishings of note are, in chronological order:

• Oak communion table, with turned legs, early seventeenth century.
• Semi-octagonal oak pulpit, formerly three-decker, with carved blank arcading and enriched cornice. It is early seventeenth century in style, but the list description suggests it was largely re-carved in about 1900. 
• Also probably early seventeenth century, some panelling in the nave and aisles, some reset, some possibly associated with the seating removed in the 1880s.
• In the chancel, a ledger slab to Elizabeth, wife of Henry Rogers, d. 1663. 
• On the chancel east wall, a good stone and slate monument to Sir Herbert Perrot, d. 1683, freestone and slate with barley sugar columns, entablature, broken pediment and arms.
• Oak font cover, with a post and ball in the middle, c.1700.
• Eighteenth and nineteenth century wall monuments include a distinctive set by Yeoman father and son, with an attractive naïve quality, the lettering carved into a black painted ground. That to Ann Meats (d.1830) beneath the rood opening is signed ‘Richard Yeomans Bod’.
• Georgian benefactions board over the south door, with painted column in the middle.
• Choir stalls and nave and aisle pews, 1880s.
• Timber and brass lectern, probably 1880s.
• Encaustic tiles and red and black quarry tiles throughout (apart from the woodblock floors of the pewed or formerly pewed areas), 1880s, by William Godwin & Sons of Lugwardine.
• Metal plates, pits and flues associated with the 1880s underfloor heating system.
• Pipe organ in the chancel by Eustace Ingram of Hereford, 1892 (more information here).
• There are six bells in the tower, three of them medieval. The first (treble) was cast by Mears & Stainbank, London in 1924; the second is by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester, 1693; the third was cast by the Worcester foundry in c.1410 and bears the inscription ‘Sancte Nicholae ora pro nobis Nicholaus’; the fourth was cast in Hereford in 1659 and recast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough in 1913; the fifth was cast by the Worcester foundry in c.1410 and is inscribed ‘Prece Maria dulce sonet et amene’; the sixth was also cast in Worcester, c.1410, and is inscribed ‘Jesus Nazarenus rex Judeorum Fili Dei miserere mei’. There is also a disused Sanctus bell in the ringing chamber, 1639.