St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly

West Hoathly, United Kingdom

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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St Margaret's Church in West Hoathly, a village in Mid Sussex, is an Anglican parish church dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch, with roots in the late 11th century when a simple single-room stone structure stood on the high ridge where the village developed. Medieval expansions roughly doubled its size by the 15th century, and the building has remained largely unchanged since, apart from a Victorian restoration overseen by architect R. H. Carpenter. The most prominent feature is its heavily buttressed Perpendicular Gothic west tower, crowned with a tall broach spire and housing a peal of ancient bells. The steeply terraced churchyard, which doubles as a public cemetery, commands far-reaching views across the Weald. Originally part of a large rural parish, the church lost territory in 1882 when residents of nearby Highbrook funded a separate church building. Designated Grade I by English Heritage for its architectural and historical significance, the church retains the dedication to Saint Margaret of Antioch, a name researchers recovered after centuries of disuse.