Another fine church to add to the series
St Margarets of Antioch, Cowlinge
This grade 1 listed building is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. A mainly 14th century flint and stone rubble church with stone dressings. The clerestory is from the 15th century and the square west tower is built with local red brick after the old tower collapsed in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in 1733, financed by Francis Dickens of Branches Park (attributed by a stone tablet in the gallery).
Following several thefts of lead the aisles roofs are now stainless steel whilst nave and chancel roofs are tiled. The nave has kingpost roof trusses. The north and south doors are original. Most of the medieval rood screen (circa 1400) remains. This, and the screen in Lavenham Church are the only surviving examples in Suffolk of screens with original gates and hinges. On each side of the chancel arch there is a squint although one now faces the organ. Above the arch there are traces of a large medieval wall doom painting. The parclose screen in the south aisle is of later date than the chancel screen. The font is 14th century octagonal, with quatrefoil ornamentation in the panels. In the west gallery there is a hatchment of King George II and on the south wall one of Henry Usborne who lived at Branches Park and was High Sherriff of the County in 1823. There is a marble monument to Frances Dickens (died 1840) with seated figures of himself and his wife. This is an unusually large monument for a relatively modest building. There is some medieval graffiti on the pillars which goes to show that nothing ever changes! At the end of the north aisle there are plain wooden benches which were provided for inmates of a local house of correction. Above the benches there is a tablet which states :- "MEM DM THAT AT A VISIT ACTION HOULD EN AT COWLINGE THE 2 DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF O LORD 1618 IT WAS NACTED WITH THE CONSENTE OF THE CHURCH WARDENS THAT IT SHOULD BE LAWFUL FOR THOMAS WOLRYCH ESQUIER TO ERECT AND BUILD UP CERTEINE SEATES BEHIND THE NORTH CHURCH DORE FOR THE USE OF THE KEEPER OF THE CORRECTION HOUSE IN COWLINGE AFORESAIDE AND THE PRISONERS THEREIN AND SO TO CONTINEWE".
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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