We have recently brought out a full guide to St Margaret's Church which can be found here.
A record of the known incumbents of St Margaret’s Church has been updated.
The church was built by the Augustinian monks of Holy Trinity Priory, Ipswich which was where Christchurch Mansion now stands.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the lands were sold to the Withypoll Family who built Christchurch Mansion.
In the 15th Century the roof of the church was raised and the magnificent carved double hammerbeam roof was constructed.
The major benefactors for this were The Hall Family whose makers mark can be seen in the roof timbers and carved on the external stonework above the clerestory.
In 1552 Commissioners on behalf of Edward VI completed a return listing the valuable goods held by the church.
In 1694-5 superb Baroque painted panels were inserted into the roof structure.
In 1700 new shields were devised to cover the ends of the hammer beams which had been damaged on the orders of William Dowsing in 1644.
In the nave and chancel of the church there are nine Hatchments for the Edgar and Fonnereau Families.
There have been bells at St Margaret's since 1553, although the oldest bell we have now is dated 1630. A guide to the bells and clock can be found here.
Music has played an important part in services and the history of the organ and choir is interesting. The organ was refurbished in 2013 and more details of the work done can be found here.
No records exist of the peals rung on the bells at St Margaret’s before their augmentation in 1899. However, since then a record of peals has been maintained. Several of the peals are recorded on “Peal Boards” hung within the old ringing chamber. A copy of the boards can be found here.
During the First World War the Steeple Keeper kept a record of his thoughts on the conflict and the effect of it on his role within the church. An edited version can be found here.