NHER 7742 (Building record) - St Margaret's Church, Swannington

Arcades to north and south aisles of around 1300, on south with rosette decoration above. Tower in Perpendicular style, inserted into nave between aisles; arches into these and to nave are doubled. Upper part of tower much rebuilt 1898. Chancel has two Decorated stlye transomed windows (renewed) on south with exterior head corbels, but that on north is 19th century. Perp
endicular syle south window and nave windows seem genuine, though renewed in part. Chancel has fine Decorated style sedilia and piscina, latter with reused carved Norman capital as bowl. Blank arcading on chancel north wall. Perpendicular style south porch with flushwork and sundial, interior piscina with ?reused Norman bowl. 19th century vestry. North aisle has traceried arch-braced roof; chancel has cambered tie-beams, archbraced with tracery above. 18th and 19th century brick buttresses outside north wall. Small hole in chancel north wall by end of aisle. Nave floor of brick with fragments of old inscribed stones; decorated coffin slab at east end south aisle, also here a piscina, and a corresponding one in north aisle, but in chancel arch side. Original north and south doors - that on north nailed up, in simple doorway. 13th century octagonal arcaded Purbeck marble font. Old poppyhead benches, and
detached heads on window ledges. Communion rail around 1660. St Christopher wall painting, north wall south aisle. 17th and 18th century floor tombs and brass matrix. Carved 19th century dresser. Royal arms George III 1762. Hatchments. Behind organ old carved fragments preserved including foliate cross, and in stone panel reset wall painting of bird. Some old stained glass west end south aisle (? from collection at manor) Chalice, Norwich 1639 Paten London 1763.
Visited by E. Rose (NAU), 29 March 1976.

(S1) noted a large chest and the tomb of Michael Elliot, 1725, who went to London and made his fortune.
Press cutting in file (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 1992.

August 2009.
Proposal to remove Victorian pews from the nave and replace with movable seating, raise the floor level on the north side of the church, convert the existing kitchen into toilets and build a spiral staircase to the tower at the west end.
See (S3) for further details
H. White, (NLA), 17 August 2009