St Margaret of Antioch Church, Chilmark

Image: © Andy Gryce Taken: 29 Jun 2007

Much of the parish church of Chilmark dates from the late 13th century when additions were made to an existing small church using stone from the Chilmark Quarries. The porch was added in the 14th century, the spire in the 18th century, and the north aisle and vestry in Victorian times. The church is a listed building, http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=320298&mode=quick. The ST97 easting grid line passes just to the right of the spire, so the chancel is in this grid square whilst the rest of the church lies in the adjacent grid square Image St Margaret was a maiden Christian martyr in Antioch, Syria in the 3rd or 4th century, who was widely venerated in the Middle Ages. When she refused to marry the local Roman prefect, she was beheaded. Her proclamation as a patron saint of expectant mothers was based on the story that during her trials she was swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon and later disgorged unharmed.

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