---
title: "St Margaret, St Margarets"
description: "Located in St Margarets, Herefordshire. Built Possibly 12th-century origins; substantially 15th and 16th century; south porch dated 1924. Diocese of Hereford. Grade I. Medieval with Norman chancel arch style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Church of England","Herefordshire","St Margarets","Grade I","Rood Screen","Norman"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/st-margaret-st-margarets"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T02:46:11.592Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-07T20:33:08.407Z"
location: "St Margarets, Herefordshire"
country: "England"
county: "Herefordshire"
town: "St Margarets"
address: "St Margarets, Herefordshire, HR2 0QW"
postcode: "HR2 0QW"
built: "Possibly 12th-century origins; substantially 15th and 16th century; south porch dated 1924"
denomination: "Church of England"
dedications: ["Margaret"]
diocese: "Hereford"
grade: "I"
style: "Medieval with Norman chancel arch"
materials: "Coursed rubble, still partially plastered; weatherboards to the bell turret; stone slate roofs"
website: "http://www.bmgparishes.org.uk/our-churches/our-churches-6803.php"
openingHours: "Church open daily."
parish: "St Margarets"
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1266723"
gridReference: "SO 353 337"
accessNotes: "Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby"
---

# St Margaret, St Margarets

St Margaret’s is a Grade I parish church in the Black Mountains foothills of Herefordshire, in the Diocese of Hereford, known for a rare complete late medieval rood screen and loft.

## Overview

Historic England records a parish church of possibly twelfth-century origins, substantially fifteenth- and sixteenth-century, of coursed rubble (still partly plastered) with weatherboarded bell turret and stone slate roofs. A bell turret is built into the west end of the nave; there is a chancel and a south porch dated 1924. The turret has a weatherboarded, jettied bell-chamber and a pyramidal stone slate roof. The chancel arch has a semicircular head and plain chamfered imposts. Mid-seventeenth-century altar rails with turned balusters survive in the chancel.

The listing highlights a splendid c.1500 rood screen and loft with coffering, a running acorn pattern, two tabernacles and heavily undercut panelling. Visit Herefordshire dates the oak screen to about 1520 as a rare survivor of the 1547 order to destroy such fittings. Sir John Betjeman wrote of finding the remote church and its screen ‘textured pale grey with time’; Simon Jenkins included it in England’s Thousand Best Churches. Stairs rise from the north-east of the chancel arch to the loft. The church stands nearly 800 feet above sea level and is open daily.

## Further Information

- [Historic England list entry 1266723](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1266723)
- [Visit Herefordshire Churches: St Margaret’s](https://www.visitherefordshirechurches.co.uk/churches/st-margarets-st-margarets/)