St Margaret of Antioch
St Margaret’s is a prime example of the lengths to which exponents of Gothic Revival were able to go when money was not a limiting factor. The church was transformed between 1875 and 1900 by a ‘lavish scheme of embellishment’ that employed the skills of some of the finest craftsmen available at the time. These are commemorated in a book by Sir Ian Mills (2006), who was thrilled to hear of another contributor to the glories of St Margaret.
Roll of Honour and Altar – Photographs (PWDRO 116/97); 1921
The WWI memorial in this church consists of the altar and a wooden plaque listing names. The altar features five niches in which there are statues of Christ the King in the centre flanked by four saints, St Augustine, St Margaret, St Mildred and St John. These represent the patron saints of the mother church and the three daughter churches of the parish. The Christ statue is very similar to the one at Apsley End, Hertfordshire, but unlike the figures there, these are not gilded and painted. The Roll of Honour and Altar were designed by Sir Charles Nicholson (Mills, 2006), although he is not acknowledged in the photograph at PWDRO. This was one of several occasions on which the pair collaborated, another being at Upminster, Essex (q.v.).
Sources
Mills, I. (2006) Craftsmen of St Margaret’s. Able Publishing, Knebworth.
PWDRO 116/97 Photograph. Lee St Margaret. Roll of Honour and Altar.