Church of St.Margaret of Antioch, The Green, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, SS17 0BY
Posted by: 
greysman
N 51° 30.848 E 000° 25.571
31U E 321413 N 5710141
Mainly of C12th build, there have been additions right up to the building of the tower in 1883.
Waymark Code: WMWVFH
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/17/2017
Views: 2
Granted Grade I listing, this ancient church was established in the C12th but is mainly of C14th build with extensive remains from both the C12th and C13th. There are later alterations. It is built of ragstone rubble with some flint, and limestone dressings with tiled roofs.
The nave is circa 1180 and C12th windows remain in the north and south wall close to the chancel. The north arcade is C13th, Early English, of four bays of two-centred arches on two round and one octagonal columns with moulded bases and capitals. The responds have attached half columns. One C13th bay of the south arcade remains at the east end, the remainder being C14th, octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. The clerestorey is C14th with three windows on the north and five on the south, all quatrefoil in style.
The chancel is also C14th with a modern east window. There are both C14th and C15th windows in the north wall, the south wall has an early C14th arch, two-centred, with grouped attached shafts, moulded capitals and bases. The chancel arch is also C14th, two-centred, of 2 hollow chamfered jambs.
The south chapel has C15th windows and a C14th west archway, whilst the C14th north aisle has two C14th windows with trefoiled ogee lights and a C14th north doorway with moulded jambs, and a two-centred arch.
The south aisle is also C14th, but has C15th windows and a C14th south door with moulded jambs, a two-centred arch and label. It has some C14th roofing with moulded principals, the purlins and bosses are carved with a geometric design. Attached, the south porch is C16th and has moulded tie beams with braces and moulded wall plates.
The north tower is of 1883 built onto the east end of the north aisle, hence the short clerestorey on the north side, of three stages it has straight buttresses on the north corners,large 'perpendicular bells openings and corner pinnacles with parapets. There is some chequer and carved stone decoration at all levels and three clock faces. It holds a complete Taylor ring of eight bells cast in 1939 hung for ringing in the English style. The ringing chamber is at the second level reached by a spiral staircase in the south-east corner. There are two inscriptions commemorating its building in 1883 running the width of the tower on a level with the bottom of the ringing chamber windows, that on the east face in English reads:- " this tower once down / to God again rebuilded rings with pleasing strain ". The short first line wraps round the rebuilding date, 1883. The first line of the inscription on the north face also wraps round, here a statuette of St.Margaret of Antioch, the church's patron saint. It is in Latin and reads:- " ecce turris olim strata / deo rursus exornata resonanti voce grata ".
Three services are held every Sunday.
Words from British Listed Buildings, Pevsner's Essex Buildings, and amended and added to with own on-site observations.
Co-ordinates are for the south porch.
Visit Instructions:1) A photo of the church is required for visits to a waymark.
2) Please share some comments about your visit.
3) Additional photos are encouraged. If you can have information in addition to that already provided about this church, please share it with us.