Description

SO 49 NW
5/44

RATLINGHOPE CP
RATLINGHOPE
Church of St Margaret

21.03.68

II
Parish church. Medieval origins, rebuilt early C17 and c.1788, restored in mid to late C19 and again more thoroughly in 1904-05. Coursed and uncoursed rubble (largely quartzite to south and local limestone to north), slate roof. Nave and chancel in one with belfry at west end; south porch and lean-to vestry at north west corner of nave.

Nave: two windows on south, early C20 lancets with foliated label-stops to the hoodmoulds; weatherboarded belfry with pyramidal cap and weathervane; in the west wall a tablet records the restoration and re-opening of the church in 1905, below this a wide round headed window, also of 1905.

Chancel: one lancet in south wall in same style as those in nave, contemporary three-light east window. Gabled south porch with segmental arch covers an early C17 round headed doorway; the door itself is nail studded and has the inscription "Anno Domini 1625 made and given by Humphrey Biggs and Tho. Bright then Churchwardens."

INTERIOR: tie- and collar-beam roof in four bays with double purlins, the two western trusses probably being early C17; oak communion table with initials TD CP JW 1844 may in fact be rather older; mid C18 wrought-iron communion rail and some contemporary oak panelling re-used as wainscoting at the east end and around the walls of the nave. The plain octagonal font comes from Great Hanwood; all the other furnishings and stained glass are of 1905.

Until the Dissolution the church served the Augustinian Priory, established here during C12 and which by c.1209 had become a dependent cell of Wigmore Abbey (Herefs.).

Listing NGR: SO4026496891

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26306268

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)