"The Church of ST. MARGARET THE VIRGIN consists of a chancel (30 ft. by 15½ ft.), with vestry and organ chamber on north, nave (52¾ ft. by 15¼ ft.), north aisle (61 ft. by 9¾ ft.), south aisle (61 ft. by 12½ ft.), west tower (12 ft. by 12¾ ft.) and south porch. The walls are of rubble with stone dressings, except the chancel and vestry, etc., which are of brick; and the roofs are covered with lead and slates.
The church is mentioned in the Domesday Survey (1086), but nothing of this date remains. It is probable that in the 12th century the church had a central tower, of which small parts of the walls may still remain. A complete reconstruction took place at the end of the 13th century, the aisles being first rebuilt, then the arcades, including arches in the north and south walls of the central tower (which was apparently then pulled down and its west wall removed) and a low clearstory. Late in the 14th century the west tower was built, partly within the church and absorbing part of the western bay of the nave, and rather later, c. 1500, the clearstory was raised and reconstructed. The chancel was rebuilt in the 18th century. The south aisle was restored in 1872, the porch in 1873; general restorations took place in 1875–6 and 1887; the spire was partly rebuilt in 1911, the nave roof was restored in 1915 and the roofs of the aisles in 1928–30. The 18th-century brick chancel has a three-light east window inserted in 1913, a plain arch to the organ chamber on the north, and two recesses on the south. The chancel arch is of c. 1300 and of two orders, the lower of which rests on semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases.
The nave, which includes the space formerly occupied by the central tower, the position of which is evidenced by the greater thickness of the walls, has an arcade, c. 1300, of four bays on each side. On the north, the eastern arch, pierced in the wall of the tower, is two centred but struck from below the springing, and rests on a wall pier with moulded abacus and on a semi-octagonal eastern respond. The three western arches, also two-centred, rest on two octagonal columns with moulded caps, but part of the western arch has been absorbed into the walls of the later tower. The upper doorway of the rood stairs is in the north-east angle of the nave, and the blocked lower door is in the aisle. On the south, the arcade is generally similar to that on the north. The clear-story has, on each side, two three-light windows of c. 1500, and one late 14th-century two-light window reset; on each side are the remains of three earlier and smaller windows visible inside, and a portion of a ring of stone on the outside of the north wall possibly indicates that these windows were of circular form. The early 16th-century roof is of low pitch with moulded beams, jacklegs and curved braces, and has carved bosses at the intersections of the timbers. There are small figures at the feet of the jacklegs, and angels at the ends of the intermediate principals. The first bay still retains its ancient colouring and two inscriptions: 'Venite benedicti patris mei et [ite] maledicti in ignem eternum,' and 'Pray for Wyllm basele and for hys wyvys.'
The 13th-century north aisle has an early 14th-century three-light east window. In the north wall are three two-light windows and a plain doorway, all of the 14th century; between the two eastern windows is a moulded corbel formerly carrying an arch across the aisle to the wall-pier of the nave arcade. Towards the west end are faint remains of a wall painting of St. Christopher. In the west wall is an original two-light window. The roof is plain and of 15th and 16th century date.
The 13th-century south aisle has a three-light window with 14th-century inner jambs and arch but modern tracery and mullions; to the north of it, externally, is the jamb of an earlier window, perhaps 12th century. The south wall has a three-light window of c. 1500, a late 14th-century two-light window, a modern three-light window with inner jambs of c. 1500, and an original doorway; there are also a small piscina, a square locker and a plain bracket. The eastern end of this wall is divided into bays by an original wall arcade, formerly of five arches, but two have been thrown together to make room for the three-light window of c. 1500. Between the two eastern windows is a moulded corbel supported by a crowned head, still carrying an arch across the aisle to the wall pier of the nave arcade. The roof is of the 17th century.
The late 14th-century west tower has a two-centred tower-arch of three orders, the lowest resting on attached shafts with moulded caps and bases.
The west doorway has a two-centred arch with continuous moulded jambs; over it is a three-light window; in the next stage is a single-light window on the south; and the belfry windows are of two lights. The buttresses are semi-hexagonal below, becoming semi-octagonal in the second stage, and then diagonal, being finally carried up as crocketed pinnacles at the angles of an embattled parapet. The tower is surmounted by an octagonal spire with two tiers of light, the lowest on the cardinal faces; above each tier is a band of battlement ornament. The stairs, in the north-east angle with a doorway in the north aisle, are now blocked.
The south porch, built in 1873, has an outer arch and diagonal buttresses of c. 1300, reset.
The early 13th-century font is octagonal with an arcade of one arch on each face; it stands on a circular central and four octagonal angle shafts.
There are six bells, inscribed: (1) I. Eayre St. Neots 1754. W. Amberow aurcm probcte (probably for Aurem praebete) and (on rim) July 17. 1754; (2) Sursum corda. T. Pain, omnia fiant ad gloriam Dei; (3) W. Smith. I. Smith. R. Smith. 1754. Veremini Deum. C. Paine, and (on rim) July 17. 1754; (4) Regem honorate. I.H.S. Nazaraenus Rex Judaeorum fili Dei miserere mei. C. Dickin, Rector; (5) Omnia fiant ad gloriam Dei. W. Houshold. J. Lucas. C.W. I. Eayre fecit. May 29. 1754. A sixth bell, by Taylor, added 1897.
On the chancel floor is the matrix of a brass with cross and marginal Lombardic inscription, ' . . . . [perso]ne: de: le: eglise: de [h]emyn[gf]ord . . . .'
Under the western arch of the north arcade is a Roman coffin with a lid dug up in the parish, together with an indented beaker found in it.
There are the following monuments: in the chancel, to Edward Mason, d. 1700, and Maria his widow, wife of Joshua Barnes, d. 1726; Joshua Barnes, d. 1712; Mary, wife of the Rev. Charles Dickens, n.d.; the Rev. Charles Dickens, Rector, d. 1793; the Rev. Thomas Stafford, Rector, d. 1797, and Elizabeth his wife, d. 1796; and Nichola, relict of Michael Obins, Esq., and daughter of Archibald, Viscount Gosford, d. 1821; floor slabs to the Rev. John Smyth, Rector, d. 1713; - - - - [Strachan] widow, eldest dau. of - - - - Gregory, d. 1749; Susan, daughter of the Rev. S. Dickens, d. 1764; F. . . . Hildesley Esq., d. 1769; and Margaret Dickens, d. 1772; and east window to the Rev. Henry Herbert, Rector, d. 1911. In the nave to James Maxey, d. 1710; and War Memorial, 1914–18. In the north aisle, shields in glass window (formerly in the east window of chancel) to John Hildesley, d. 1731; Catherine (Martin) relict of John Hildesley, d. 1744; and the Rev. Samuel Dickens, Rector, d. 1748. In the south aisle to James Linton, d. 1836, the Rev. James Linton, his son, d. 1872, Elizabeth, widow of the latter, d. 1884, and Col. Charles Linton, their son, d. 1927; floor slabs to William Household, d. 1778, and Sarah his widow, d. 1779; and glass windows to Mary Frances, d. 1848, Elizabeth, d. 1867, and James Henry, d. 1875, daughters and son of the Rev. James Linton; and Frederick Douglas, d. 1873.
In the churchyard is a headstone to An. Sparo, d. 1694, daughter probably of William Sparrow of Hilton.
The only early register is as follows: Baptisms, marriages and burials, 18 Jan. 1693 to 13 Dec. 1812; marriages end 28 Sept. 1753.
The church plate consists of the following: A large standing salver of Britannia metal, hall-marked for 1719–20; two silver cups inscribed 'Church of Hemingford Abbotts, 1826' and hall-marked for 1795–6; a silver flagon similarly inscribed and hallmarked; a silver standing paten similarly inscribed but hall-marked for 1800–1; two pewter plates, of poor metal."
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