Church of St Margaret, South Hanningfield (EHER 7579)

Church constructed in the fourteenth century with a fifteenth century west tower and partly rebuilt by G.E. Street in the 1870s. The reconstruction was conducted in two phases and comprised a complete rebuilding of the structure. The west tower is built of red brick with diagonal buttresses, raised 19th century castellated parapet and rectangular cornice staircase turret. The nave was rebuilt in dressed stone and the chancel is constructed of flint and puddingstone. The tiles roof of the church is late 20th century. In 1902 a north organ room and vestry was added in the position of the former vestry. The church suffered from fire damage in 1977 and only the reredos remains of Street's interior. The church is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 7579, 7580, and 30822. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Margaret's Church (CofE) [NAT]. <1> Completely rebuilt except the red brick west tower, which is late 15th or early 16th century. There is some reused material in the chancel and nave, including an early 14th century window in the chancel; late 14th century window in the nave; also 13th and 14th century doorways in the nave. There is 13th or 14th century reused material in the tower arch. The west tower has contemporary windows and a west doorway. Other features and fittings: 14th century inscriptions from brass in nave; early 16th century door in turret staircase; mostly 14th century glass in nave, some 15th century; early 16th century stoup in south porch. The church has been completely rebuilt except the west tower. The bells include two 17th century examples; there are two late 16th century brasses, inscriptions only; a chest with front made up of 17th or 18th century panelling; 17th and 18th century monuments and floor slabs; plate includes cup and cover-paten of 1562. The church was rebuilt in 1871. There are several handsome 18th and early 19th century minor epitaphs under the tower. Grade B. RCHM1. <2> - <5> In 1848 the church was described as "a small ancient edifice, with a handsome embattled tower, and contains some interesting monuments". <6> Burnt out in 1977, being restored. <7> Finds in Chelmsford Museum. <8> 1982. Chance find. Archaeological deposits were excavated in 1982 during the digging of a new grave. They were interpreted as a dumped deposit relating to church building in the 18th century, dated by pottery. Historical records show the church was in poor condition in the 17th, 18, and 19th century. Finds included a 16th century 'jetton' issued by Hans Krauwickel of Nuremberg, post-medieval pottery including Stock ware mugs, stoneware vessels, smooth orange earthenware sherds, glazed stoneware. The pottery group date range is late 16th to mid 18th century. <8> - <12> February 2008. Listing file It is unknown when the earliest church was constructed on site, but the nave and chancel, rebuilt in 1871 with re-used materials by G.E Street, contains probable 14th century windows and thus it seems likely that church replaced by Street was of 14th century and later date. The 1870s reconstruction was conducted in two phases (nave followed by chancel) and comprised the complete rebuilding of the structure, probably largely for structural rather than aesthetic reasons. The west tower is considered to be of 15th century date; although mid 18th century illustrations by Inigo Richards indicate that certainly the north elevation was principally of stone at that time. Restoration of the tower was also undertaken in the 1870s, including the reconstruction of the plinth with later 19th century bricks and raising of the parapet, restoration of the west doorway and reconstruction of the west window. It is possible that any remaining stonework was replaced and some brickwork rebuilt during the 1870s as the diapering on the lower stages of the elevations is patchy. In 1902 a north organ room and vestry was added in the position of a former vestry. Tragically, the church suffered a fire in 1977, resulting in severe damage to the vestry, nave and south porch including the loss of the roof, all glass (apart from the west window of the tower) and the pews, organ, pulpit and choir stalls. After considerable effort by the congregation, the church was rebuilt, but as a consequence only the reredos remains of Street's interior. The church is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. It's a modest rural church, rebuilt by Street in 1871, but possessing an imposing red brick west tower largely of c 1500 with diagonal buttresses, raised 19th century castellated parapet and a rectangular cornice staircase turret. On the lower stage there is some black brick diapering. The tiled roof of the church is late 20th century. The nave and chancel were completely rebuilt in phases; the nave in dressed stone, the chancel in the cheaper materials of flint and puddingstone. The structure is buttressed on all elevations. On the south elevation of the nave, the restored 14th century doorway, within the rebuilt south porch, has carved face stops and an adjacent 16th century stoop. On the north and south elevations are two-light 14th century windows with 20th century replaced glass, almost certainly re-set by Street following the rebuilding and apparently partially restored. The east window has three-lights, the tracery restored after the fire. The reredos of about 1871 has been restored and comprises a central panel depicting the cross, flanked by two smaller panels, each with stone ogee-arched heads. All of the windows have replaced stained glass, including that at the east end. The church furniture is late 20th century. Some of the 18th century monuments from the earlier church are to be found on the west wall of the nave and others in the base of the tower which has been converted into kitchen facilities. Two small brasses on the north chancel wall are 14th century and on the south wall are a rebuilt piscine and single sedilia. The tower has a brick stairway at the south-east corner and is said to have a 16th century timber door on the first floor. The former stone font, the bowl of which may be 15th century, is located in the churchyard, which contains no significant monuments. To the north of the church is a former stable and a 16th century dovecote, re-erected from a nearby farmstead in the current position in the 1990s. The Lych-gate appears to be 19th century or 20th century in date. Photographic evidence of the late 20th century destruction amply demonstrates the extent of rebuilding which was required. G.E Street (1824-1881) was a prolific Victorian architect noted for his Gothic buildings, many of which are listed, including the Royal Courts of Justice (grade1,1868-1881) and numerous churches, many highly graded, such as St James the Less in Vauxhall Bridge Road (grade 1,1859-1) and St Mary Magdalene, Paddington (grade 1,1868-71). Had Street's nave and chancel remained intact and been of quality, high grading may have been appropriate in this case. However, the 1870s interior has been destroyed and the phased construction of the nave and chancel resulted in the use of materials of varying quality. Furthermore, the 19th century reconstruction of the tower was considerable. Thus, although without doubt the church is valued by its congregation and community, it does not have more than special interest in the national context and should not be re-graded in II*. However, the re-used 14th century windows and the tower, which, notwithstanding the rebuilding, possesses a substantial proportion of 15th century fabric, gives the church sufficient architectural and historic interest to be retained on the list. <13> See also: <14> - <16>