Quincampoix

Standing proudly over the village square in Quincampoix today, Sainte-Marguerite Church forms the spiritual and historical core of a parish shaped by eight centuries of monastic presence. While its current brick silhouette reflects 19th-century modernity, it stands on the site of a much older building that once stood in the centre of the churchyard.

Traces of the Old Sanctuary

The former church, demolished in 1865, incorporated 16th-century elements into 18th-century masonry. Fifty-four feet long, it had an east-west orientation directly opposite to the building we see today, with its entrance facing west beneath a timber-framed, tiled porch.

Parish records from 1714, penned during a pastoral visit by Archbishop d’Aubigné, paint a bleak picture: the prelate noted broken windows, a "very ancient" Gothic tabernacle, and no communion rails. He promptly ordered urgent repairs to restore the dignity of the chancel and the altars.

Revolutionary Turmoil

During the Revolution, the church endured dark times, re-christened to suit the mood of the day—first as a "Temple of Reason", then as a "Temple of the Supreme Being". In 1794, a workman sawed off the spire’s cross because it was too potent a reminder of the building’s religious roots, replacing it with a Phrygian cap. The bells were not spared republican fervour either: two of the three were sent off to be melted down in 1793.

A Nineteenth-Century Revival

The complete rebuilding came under the Second Empire. Spearheaded by Father Gaillard, work on the new church got under way in 1865. On 13 July 1868, Cardinal de Bonnechose consecrated the new cruciform brick building, its main facade now looking east.

A Living Heritage

Inside, the church houses genuine pieces of local history. Notable among them is a 13th-century baptistery, its stone font recarved during the reign of Louis XIV. Mounted on the walls, a black marble plaque commemorates Jean Roussel—known as Marc d’Argent—the Quincampoix native who went on to become Abbot of Saint-Ouen and master builder of the celebrated abbey church in Rouen.

Lastly, the bells rung today, cast in 1910, preserve the shared memory of two merged parishes, forged from the bronze of earlier bells from both Quincampoix and Saint-Nicolas-du-Vert-Bois. Outside, the churchyard cross (dating from 1560–1580) still stands watch, carved with the instruments of the Passion.