St Margaret, Knotting, Bedfordshire

I Location

Site Location: Knotting
National Grid Reference: TL 093 635
County: traditional: Bedfordshire
now: Bedfordshire
Diocese: medieval: Lincoln
now: St Albans
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Margaret of Antioch
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: General view.

The church consists of chancel, nave, S porch, S transept and W tower. The upper part of the tower is 17thc. The lower part is 12thc. There is a plain round-headed 12thc. window above the tower arch, edged by a keeled roll. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13thc. to14thc. and the S transept added at this time. The 12thc. nave survives, this has a plain 12thc. window to the W of the S doorway. The chancel arch and several reset fragments bear 12thc. sculpture.

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

a. Chancel arch/Apse arches

(i) Chancel arch

: Chancel arch, general view.

: Chancel arch, general view of arch.

: Chancel arch, L jambs.

: Chancel arch, R jambs.

: Chancel arch, L capital.

: Chancel arch, R capital.

: Chancel arch, detail.

: Chancel arch, detail.

Round-headed, of two orders to the W and one order to the E. There are clear, diagonal tool marks on most surfaces. The arch has been whitewashed.

Dimensions

w. of opening	1.75 m
h. of capital not incl. necking	0.13 m
h. of capital incl. necking	0.15 m

First order, W face

Plain and square, chamfered impost with a groove along the centre of the upright and chamfered below the groove. The arch has one thick row of centrifugal chevron carved lateral to the face of the arch, followed on the face by a fine roll. There are wedges between the points of the chevron at the inner edge forming cogwheel edge. The wedges are followed by a groove on the soffit.

First order, E face

Plain.

Second order

No bases, three-quarter attached shafts with cushion capitals.

L capital: with angle tuck and wedges on the outer N and E angles. Plain necking.

R capital: with wedges on the angle and on S and E faces, the wedge in the angle has a central rib. Plain necking.

The arch is as the first order.

The impost has been cut away entirely on the W face above the S capital and partially on the W face above the N capital.

The label is chamfered with a groove, only the upper part survives.

5. Interior Decoration

c. Miscellaneous

(i) Voussoir fragments

: S doorway, interior, reused chevron.

: S doorway, interior, reused chevron.

: S doorway, interior, reused chevron.

: S doorway, interior, reused chevron.

Three voussoir fragments have been reset above the S doorway. These appear to be of the same profile as those on the chancel arch. Too high to take measurements.

VII History

The Domesday Survey does not mention a church at Knotting, but records that the Bishop of Coutances held land there. VCH records that on the Bishop's death, the land reverted to the King and that it was later granted to the Ferrers family who held it until the 17thc. (VCH, 139).

The church was originally a chapel to Melchbourne Church (Bedfordshire). In 1176 the Bishop of Exeter, resolving a dispute, judged that the chapel should be the property of the Prior and Convent of St Neots and should be free of Melchbourne. In 1190 this was confirmed by Hugh of Lincoln. (VCH, 142)

In the mid-13thc. the Priory lost the advowson and by1275 Hugh Bossard, Lord of Knotting held it. The advowson remained with the Bossard family until the 18thc.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

Domesday Book: Bedfordshire, Ed. J. Morris, Chichester, 1977, 3, 1.
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Bedfordshire and the County of Huntingdon and Peterborough, London, 1968, 106.
The Victoria County History: A History of the County of Bedford, London, 1912, 3:139-42.