Parish Church of St Margaret, Tilbury (EHER 7010)

15th century parish church, the chancel, nave, and south porch are mid 15th century, west tower early 16th century, with minor restoration of 1850. The walls are of flint rubble, heavily plastered with stone dressings.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 7010, 7011, and 28388. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Margaret's Church [NAT]. <1> Parish Church of St Margaret stands near the middle of the parish. The church has flint rubble walls, heavily plastered, with stone dressings, tiled roofs. The chancel, nave and south porch were built in the mid or late 15th century. The red brick west tower was added in the early 16th century. Features and fittings include: windows and doorways of the 15th and early 16th century; 15th century roofs to the nave, chancel and south porch; late 15th century chair reused in a modern chair in the chancel; a `dug-out' chest of uncertain date; probably 16th century door to the stair turret in the tower; 15th century font; mid or late 15th century glass; late 15th century paintings in the nave (including the depiction of a timber-framed house with a figure and a horse in the foreground); 15th century piscinae; 15th century stoup, sedilia; also a crude representation on the north wall in the tower, in plaster or mortar, of a winged beast. General restoration took place in the 19th century. Features and fittings include: a bell of 1607; a probably 17th century oak door in the south doorway; a late 17th century tombstone in the churchyard; early 17th century panelling in the chancel and the tower; the plate includes an early 17th century cup and a cover paten (restored, possibly even reconstructed) probably late 16th century wall paintings in the nave (including foliage and traces of texts). <2> The tower has blue brick diapering. The late 15th century painting of a timber-framed house shows brick-nogging between its studs. Elizabethan pulpit. Rustic decoration in chancel in imitation of the ornamental parts of the old work. Cup and paten of about 1600. <3> 16th century panelling in the tower. Various fragments of medieval and later masonry built into the walls for decoration (as at Ovington, see 0000). There is a fine medieval corbel in the churchyard along with other masonry remains. "A (?)late medieval alabaster figure lies loose on the floor of the tower... Archaeological potential unknown apart from the obvious fact that there are earlier medieval remains to be found in or under the existing structure." The church is in a completely isolated position. The 15th century nave and chancel have been recently re-rendered in cement. There is serious dampness in the walls. There is an important collection of old timber in the church but live woodworm is causing damage. The 15th and 16th century wall paintings "are in urgent need of conservation". Fine Royal Arms of 1704 in the tower, but decayed. 19th century paintings around the chancel are of interest. Some good 18th century and early 19th century headstones in the churchyard despite tidying. 16th century, rotting panelling in the tower. Medieval and later masonry fragments built into the church walls for decoration. 16th century panelling in the tower is rotting. The Royal Arms of 1764 are also in an advanced state of decay. Important collection of old timber in the church but live woodworm is making inroads. The graveyard has been tidied but some good 18th and early 19th century headstones remain. Graded CIIIa by Rodwell. <4> The church has limestone dressings and is roofed with handmade tiles. The structure is mid 15th century except the early 16th century west tower (built in 1519 for Elizabeth, Countess of Oxford, according to Morant.) The head of a piscina in the chancel is grooved for glass. The font stem is 15th century. The south doors in the nave are 15th century. The south wall of the tower has plaster emblems of the De Veres. Stone bosses and other ornaments have been set in the outside and inside walls of the church. They are of doubtful provenance, some were collected in Bury St Edmunds in the early 20th century. A small terracotta figure in the outside west wall of the nave may be original and may represent the Countess of Oxford. "This church is remarkable in being entirely of the 15th century (except the tower), with minimal restoration, and an interior unobstructed by monuments or later features". Minor restoration in 1850. Two 19th century windows in the south porch. Font bowl is 19th-20th century in date. 19th century fillets on medieval nave south doors. Early 17th century pulpit with 19th century marble shafts. One bell is of 1607, the other of 1729. Tombstone against outside south wall of chancel is late 17th century (the one mentioned by RCHM), another inside is early 18th century. Late 16th-early 17th century panelled dado in the tower. Stone bosses and other ornaments have been reset in the outer and inner walls of the church and are of doubtful provenance, some having been collected at Bury St Edmunds in the early 20th century. <5> <6> See also: <7> - <9>