Description

SHOTTISHAM CHURCH LANE
TM 34 SW
(East side)
10/129 Church of St. Margaret
16/3/66
GV II
Church. Early C14. C16 and c.1867 by G C Hakewill. Coursed and random
rubble flint with ashlar dressings and plain tile roof. West tower, nave
with north aisle, chancel, south-western porch. Tower: west front:
slightly projecting plinth, ashlar offset to top. Diagonal buttresses.
Central ground floor doorway with double hollow-chamfered ashlar surround
and hoodmould. Two-light window above this with C19 Decorated tracery and
hollow-chamfered surround. Ashlar voussoirs above alternating with panels
of knapped flints, deep key stone with flushwork cross. Lancet above this.
Ashlar band at sill level of belfry opening. This has an ashlar surround
and Perpendicular C19 2-light tracery with trefoil heads to the lights and
hood mould. Deep string course above this at the lower level of the
parapet with animal heads and square flowers. Battlemented parapet above
with ashlar coping. North face: similar save that it has no lower doorway
or window at the level of the first stage. South face: similar to north
face, save for the projecting staircase turret with canted angle at left
which rises to the level of the lancet which is here placed slightly at
left of centre. Angle buttress to extreme right hand side. East face:
abuts the nave to its lower body. Above this scars in the walling show
that the pitch of the roof was originally steeper. Similar belfry opening
to those seen on the other sides. Nave: south face: C19 porch at left of
centre with moulded ashlar arch to gabled front and paired lancets to the
flanks. To left of the porch is a lancet window with C19 chamfered
surround. To right of the porch is a C19 lancet window with ashlar
surround and to right again a further C19 window of 2-light Decorated form.
North face: lean-to aisle of 1868 with catslide roof continuing the line of
the nave roof. No windows to its north face but triple-lancet to east side
wall and low window of 4 lancet lights and trefoils and octofoil to apex at
west side. Chancel: lower ridge level than nave. South face: Decorated
lancet window at left with cinquefoil head, chamfered surround and
hoodmould. The lower body of this window between the deep transom and the
sill is now bricked up with red bricks but may previously have been
shuttered and served as a sanctus window. Priest's door to right of this
with chamfered ashlar surround. Two-light C19 window at right of plate
tracery. East face rebuilt c.1867, a triple-lancet with a hexafoil within
a chamfered circle to gable above. North face: has Perpendicular window of
2 lights with cinquefoil heads now blocked.

Interior: Nave: roof adapted c.1867 at which time the roof was lowered, c.
6 feet. Moulded wooden cornice on which stand 3/4-circular wall posts with
moulded caps and bases. These connect with the principals and support
arched braces which connect with the collar beams. These collar beams all
have mortice holes indicating a possible earlier roof form or a flat
ceiling formerly at this level. Above the collar beam are cusped arch
braces connected to a yolk. Further cusped arch braces rise from this to
the ridge. Running longitudinally, between the wall posts, are arched
wind-braces forming alternating steep and shallow arches which connect at
their apexes and a staggered purlin. Similar staggered purlin above, below
which are cusped wind braces whose springing is also staggered, giving them
a uniform curvature. Set of early-mid C19 pews with billet-moulded
enrichment to their tops. Font of C13 date, octagonal, 2 slightly recessed
arches to each face of the bowl. Central octagonal shaft surrounded by C19
colonettes to the angles of different sorts of coloured marble. Chamfered
step which may also be of C13 date. Arcade of 4 arches to northern aisle
with shafts of quatrefoil section and having moulded bases and caps. Rood
loft staircase set within the thickness of the southern wall rising from
the lowered sill of the south eastern nave window, of 7 steps with a 1/4-
turn. Doorways with flattened arches to upper and lower levels. Beneath
the stairs a recess for stoup or piscina also with flattened arch.
Chancel: roof of common rafters with collars and angle braces with planked
boarding before the ashlar posts. Lowered sedilia-sill to the south window
with panels of cusped tracery to the window reveals. The tower and chancel
arches are similar, both having hollow-chamfered outer arches from the
sides of which spring heavy, double-chamfered inner arches.

SOURCES: Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Suffolk, 1975
H. Munro Cautley, Suffolk Churches, 1982

Listing NGR: TM3212844701

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26282049

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.

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