St Margaret's Church, Abbotsley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Margaret's Church, Abbotsley
St Margaret's Church, Abbotsley, from the north
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OS grid reference	TL 227 565
Location	Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	14 May 1959
Architect(s)	William Butterfield (1861 restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Pebblestone with dressings in stone and clunch

St Margaret's Church is a very old and special church located in the village of Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This church is so important that it's listed as a Grade II* building, meaning it's a building of special interest. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it, making sure it stays preserved for everyone to see. You can find the church right in the middle of Abbotsley village, just south of the B1046 road.

History of St Margaret's Church

The first mention of a church on this spot was around the year 1138. However, the oldest parts of the church you see today were built much later, between 1300 and 1310. At that time, the church had a main hall called a nave, a special area for the altar called a chancel, and a side section known as a south aisle.

About 20 years later, a north aisle was added to the church. Towards the end of the 1300s, the tall tower was built. The nave was also made longer, and a clerestory was added. A clerestory is a row of windows high up on the walls, letting in more light. In the early 1600s, a clock was put on the tower.

The church has been repaired and updated several times over the years. It was first restored in 1854. Then, in 1861, a famous architect named William Butterfield led another big restoration. During this work, the chancel, the north vestry (a room for clergy), and the north porch (an entrance area) were all rebuilt. The tower itself was restored in 1884. Even though the Churches Conservation Trust now looks after most of the church, the chancel is still used for regular church services by the local community.

Church Architecture and Design

Outside the Church

St Margaret's Church is mostly built from pebblestone, which is a type of small, rounded stone. It also uses other stones and a soft white stone called clunch for details. The roofs are made of stone and lead. The church's layout includes the main nave with its clerestory windows, side aisles to the north and south, a north porch, a chancel with a north vestry, and a tall tower at the west end.

The tower has four main sections, or stages. It stands on a strong base called a plinth and has four buttresses, which are supports that stick out from the walls. There's also a staircase on the southwest corner. At the very bottom of the tower, you'll find a west door, with a window above it that has three sections. The third stage of the tower has small windows on the north and west sides, and a round window with four leaf-like shapes on the south side. The top stage has two-section windows on each side, where the bells are located.

The very top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall with gaps. You can also see gargoyles in the middle of each side. Instead of pointed decorations called pinnacles at the corners, there are statues of kings! People say these statues represent English kings Harold and William the Conqueror, and Scottish kings Macbeth and Malcolm III.

The north aisle has a 14th-century window with two sections on its west wall. There are two similar windows on the north wall. You'll also find a doorway and a small carved space, or niche, with a pointed top on the north wall. On the east wall of this aisle, there's a 15th-century window with three sections and two brackets supported by carved angels. The clerestory, the upper part of the nave, has five square-headed windows with two sections on each side.

In the north wall of the chancel, there's a two-section window and a small door. The west wall of the vestry has a 15th-century niche that was moved there, with a fancy carved top called a crocketed canopy. There's also another bracket supported by angels. The chancel's east window has three sections, and its south wall has a two-section window. The east wall of the south aisle has a three-section window. On the south wall, you'll see two two-section windows and a doorway with a 16th-century stoup (a basin for holy water) to its east. Finally, the west wall of the south aisle has another two-section window.

Inside the Church

Inside the church, both the north and south arcades have four sections. Arcades are rows of arches supported by columns or piers. The piers in the north arcade are made of four grouped shafts, while those in the south arcade are octagonal (eight-sided).

In the south wall of the chancel, you'll find a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and a sedilia (seats for the clergy). In the south wall of the south aisle, there's a beautifully carved tomb recess from the 14th century. Above this recess, you can see two coats of arms.

The font, where baptisms take place, is from the 13th century. It has a tapering octagonal bowl made of limestone and sits on an octagonal base. Under the arch leading to the chancel, there's a 16th-century oak screen with three sections, including the central opening. The church also has a ring of five bells, with the oldest one dating back to 1575.

Churchyard Features

In the churchyard, there is a special table tomb from 1688. It's made of limestone, and its sides are carved with symbols that remind people about death, known as Memento mori. This tomb is also listed as a Grade II building, meaning it's historically important.

See also

• The Churches Conservation Trust: St Margaret's Church, Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire