HER 8404 DESCRIPTION:-

Listed Building Description:-

SO 81 SW BROOKTHORPE-with-CHURCH LANE WHADDON (south side), Whaddon 5/1 Church of St. Margaret 10.1.55 GV II*

Parish church. C13 with C15 tower; restored generally in 1855, chancel in 1880. Very large coursed and squared limestone to nave and chancel with ashlar tower; random rubble to north side of nave and upper part of east end; stone slate roof. Nave without aisles; chancel, west tower and north porch. Moulded and pointed arched north doorway with carved head labels to hoodmould; C19 plank door; porch has moulded 4-centred archway in parapet gable with diagonal corner butresses; small chamfered square-headed side windows above C19 restored internal stone seats; C19 replacement porch roof with cusping to rafter collars. 2 plain chamfered Early English nave lancets to left of porch. 3 lancets to south nave wall as on north, above a deep plinth; 3 C18 wall memorials mounted between windows; square stair-turret to tower with raking coped top projects flush with nave wall, having shouldered-arched doorway and stone steps. Parapet east end gable to nave; also to chancel with Early English triplet east window; 2 chancel windows in north and south walls, the eastern being single Early English lancet; pointed arched priest's doorway with plank door central to south wall with 2-light to left having quatrefoil tracery head in square opening; small ogee-headed lancet to right in north chancel wall. Diagonal offset buttresses to 3 stage tower with heavy plinth moulding broken by pointed-arched west doorway; C19 restored 2-light west window; small chamfered square-headed opening to middle stage on north and south sides; 2-light belfry openings with rectilinear tracery and stone slate louvres; buttresses at belfry level are clasping and the east pair are terminated above the nave roof with carved corbels; string course above with single remaining animal gargoyle in east and west tower faces; crenellated parapet.

Interior has been scraped and partially replastered in C19 restorations; nave has continuous rounded string course at sill level and timber ribbed barrel roof with brattished wall-plate; round-headed tower arch with C19 timber vestry screen below and Royal Arms of George III mounted above; blocked square-headed doorway to left of tower arch gave internal access to tower stairs. Wide pointed chancel arch has chamfered archivolt supported on plain corbels with recessed undersides; chancel floor has been raised in C19 with step at arch and before altar; timber panelled barrel chancel roof. Restored shoulder-arched piscina in south chancel wall; plain black marble memorial over priest's door' inscribed to WILLIAM MATHEWS, died 1720, and to his wife MARY; C19 box pews in nave and octagonal stone C19 pulpit with arcaded top and base; early C14 stone octagonal font with round-headed panelling to bowl and heavy mouldings below above a panelled pedestal. Some C19 stained glass in nave; east chancel triplet glazed by Sir Niniam Comper, dated 1920. Dominant tower in the flat landscape. {Source Work 2412.}

The Church of St Margaret dates from the 13th century. In 1299 it was a chapel to Moreton and in 1315 it was rededicated to the mission of St Margaret of Scotland, and in the 15th century a Perpendicular tower was built. The nave of St Margaret's was restored in 1854-5 and the chancel was restored in 1880. {Source Work 10912.}

2005 - A modern archaeological evaluation was undertaken prior to development by Martin Cook during October 2005. A single trench was excavated. A layer of small stone fragments was recorded. A single sherd of C12 pottery was retrieved along with sherds of C16 - C18 date. This may indicate that an episode of repair to the church was undertaken {Source Work 9486.}

2019 - Evaluation undertaken in June 2019 by Urban Archaeology revealed a number of disarticulated human remains, post medieval pottery and roof tile {Source Work 16395.}

"A grade II* listed church. The nave roof is of double-arch braced (wagon roof) construction, consisting of twenty-two common rafter trusses. The rafters are set flatways. The collars are cranked and the timbers trestle sawn. Dating commissioned by the Whaddon PCC. Dated to 1421-22." {Source Work 16980.}

2020 "A grade II* listed church. The nave roof is of double-arch braced (wagon roof) construction, consisting of twenty-two common rafter trusses. The rafters are set flatways. The collars are cranked and the timbers trestle sawn. Dating commissioned by the Whaddon PCC. Dated to 1421-22." {Quoted from Source Work 16980.}