St Margaret's Church, High Bentham

St Margaret’s Church stands in High Bentham, a village in North Yorkshire. It is an Anglican parish church built in 1837 and later extended in 1901–02 by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley. The church was enlarged with a new chancel, transepts, organ chamber and vestries, and a plaster ceiling was removed from the nave. A tower screen, pulpit and reseating were also added during the work. The church was closed in 2012 and converted into two private homes, while the congregation now meets at other local churches. The building is constructed from stone with a slate roof and features a four-bay nave, a two-bay chancel and a west tower. The tower has octagonal turrets and an embattled parapet in three stages, with a west doorway and triple stepped windows. The nave is lined with four two-light lancet windows, and the chapel has two-light windows on the north and south sides. The chancel’s east end contains a four-light window with trefoil plate tracery. A two-manual pipe organ, built in 1893 and rebuilt in 1937 by Henry Ainscough of Preston, was once part of the church’s interior. Visitors can still see the church’s exterior, including the tower’s detailed stonework and the varied window designs. The slate roof and stone construction give the building a solid, traditional appearance. The former nave and chancel now form part of private homes, but the church’s architectural features remain clearly visible. The surrounding village of High Bentham provides a quiet rural setting for the building. The church’s history and alterations by Austin and Paley are evident in its structure.