Coldham Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coldham Cottage |
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| Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph | |
Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph - known as Coldham Cottage
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 Coldham Cottage
Location in Suffolk
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| 52°10′12″N 0°42′53″E / 52.1700°N 0.7148°E | |
| Location | Bury Road, Lawshall, Suffolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
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| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia |
The Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph, also known as Coldham Cottage, is a very old and special Roman Catholic church in Suffolk, England. It's located in Bury Road, Lawshall and is part of the Diocese of East Anglia. This church is famous because it's the oldest Catholic church in Suffolk that has been continuously used for services! In 1998, it was recognized as a Grade II Listed Building, which means it's an important historical place.
The church is found on Bury Road, close to the entrance of Coldham Hall. For a long time, the history of the Catholic faith in this area was closely connected to the Rookwood family and their home, Coldham Hall. Even though the hall itself is in a nearby village called Stanningfield, the main gate, the long driveway, and the church we see today are all in Lawshall.
Contents
Coldham Cottage: A Historic Church
A Secret Past: The Rookwood Family
The Rookwood family had lived in this area since 1315. In 1574, they built a grand new house, Coldham Hall. This new house was designed with a secret attic chapel and a hiding spot that could be reached by escaping down a chimney in an outer wall. This was a time when being Catholic in England could be very difficult.
Just four years after Coldham Hall was finished, Queen Elizabeth I visited Lawshall. The Rookwoods tried to get her to visit their home. However, one family member was instead sent to prison in Bury St Edmunds, where he later died. During these times, there were many disagreements between Roman Catholics and Protestants. The Rookwood family records show they faced fines and had their property taken away. Priests sometimes stayed secretly at Coldham Hall during these tough times, but their names were not written down for safety.
New Chapels and Changes
Later, in the late 1500s or early 1600s, the secret attic chapel was no longer used for church services. Instead, Mass was held in another place hidden in the woods, surrounded by a moat. This second chapel was at a house called Barfords, and parts of that building still exist today.
Around this time, the Rookwood family became connected to the Gage family at Hengrave Hall. Sir Thomas Gage took over Coldham Hall from his mother, who was a Rookwood. His brother, Father John Gage, almost caused the Coldham church to close. He encouraged many people to go to his new church in Bury St Edmunds instead. To try and stop people from leaving, a third chapel was built at Coldham Hall in the early 1800s. It is still there but is not used for services anymore.
The Church Today
In 1865, when Father Patrick Rogers was the priest, Coldham Hall had to be sold because of money problems. Mass was held at Barfords again until 1870. That's when the priest's house, called the presbytery, at Coldham Cottage was changed and made bigger to become the church we see today. Around the same time, the Catholic school was moved to a spot right next to the new church.
Coldham Cottage itself was built in the late 1600s or early 1700s. It has a timber frame, is whitewashed, and has a pantile roof. The current church was made by using part of the old house (the kitchen and a bedroom, with the floor removed) and adding an extension. This church is a rare example of a place that has been continuously used by Catholics since at least the 1700s.
After some recent updates, there is now a priest living at Coldham Cottage. It also offers a place for other priests to stay for holidays when they need a break from their own churches. The church at Coldham Cottage is now the oldest Roman Catholic Mission in Suffolk.
See also
