Description

1. COWLINGE Church of St Margaret
2006
TL 75 SW 6/144 19.12.61.

A

2.
Dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. A mainly C14 flint and stone rubble church
with stone dressings. The clerestorey is C15 and the red brick square west tower
is C18. In the C17 the west tower collapsed and it was replaced by the present
red brick tower in 1733 which was built by Francis Dickens of Branches Park (As
stated on a stone tablet in the gallery). The aisles are lead roofed and the
nave and chancel roofs are tiled. The nave has kingpost roof trusses. The north
and south doors are original. The greater part of the mediaeval 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 and above the arch there are traces of
a large mediaeval wall painting depicting the last judgement. The parclose screen
in the south aisle is of later date than the chancel screen. The font is C14,
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. At the west 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 an interesting 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".

Listing NGR: TL7184654931

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526918

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record