St MARGARET’S CHURCH HOTHFIELD

 

The Church of St Margaret, formerly listed as the Church of St Mary, is built of Kentish ragstone and has the following features :

A. A chancel with north & south chapels.

B. A three-bay nave with aisles and west tower with a shingled spire.

 

The building contained medieval work of several periods but was badly damaged in 1598 by lightning and was rebuilt by Sir John Tufton.  The north and south chapels were added in 1876 when the whole Church was restored.

 

Sir Arthur Sullivan, one half of the Gilbert & Sullivan partnership, composed a piece of music, “The Lost Chord”, on the organ that now resides in St Margaret’s Church.  It is believed that at the time the organ was in Hothfield Place, where a public performance was given by Sir Arthur in 1877.  The organ was moved to St Margaret’s Church in the late 1890s.

 

The Church is Grade I listed as a building of special architectural or historic interest.  It has six bells, including the tenor, which weighs eight hundredweight, is just over 35 inches across and was founded in 1927 along with the treble.  The other four bells were cast in 1762 by Lester and Pack, the same foundry that cast both the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia & Big Ben.

HOTHFIELD

Hothfield is a village inhabited by some 800 people lying about 3 miles west-north-west of Ashford. 

Past and current features include :

A. Hothfield Heathland

A nature reserve containing 143 acres managed by Kent Wildlife Trust.  Due to its unique heath land, bog habitat and wildlife, it is designated a site of Special Scientific Interest and regularly populated by Highland cattle and horses. 

B. Hothfield Place

The second house was completed in 1780 and was set in 350 acres of parkland.    Unfortunately following occupation by the Army during World War Two, the Manor was demolished in 1954 and all that remains is part of the front balustrade.

C. St Margaret’s Church

A thirteenth century parish church containing a seventeenth century marble Tufton tomb.