Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford |
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Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford
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| 52°5′15.27″N 0°43′15.67″E / 52.0875750°N 0.7210194°E | |
| OS grid reference | TL865467 |
| Location | Long Melford |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://longmelfordchurch.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 153 feet (47 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Long Melford |
| Deanery | Sudbury |
| Archdeaconry | Sudbury |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
| Province | Canterbury |
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The Church of the Holy Trinity is a very old and important church in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered to be of exceptional historical interest. This church is one of many in England dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
It was built between 1467 and 1497 in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. This church is a great example of a "wool church." These churches were built by rich wool merchants in the Middle Ages. They wanted to show off their wealth and success.
Holy Trinity Church is especially famous for its amazing collection of old stained glass windows. An expert from the Victoria and Albert Museum called them "very special and extremely rare."
Many people admire the church's design. It looks like a cathedral because of its large size and unique style. It also has many original features that survived big changes in the 1500s and 1600s. A famous historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, said it was "one of the most moving parish churches of England." In Simon Jenkins' book England’s Thousand Best Churches, it's one of only 18 churches to get the highest rating of five stars.
The church was even featured in Michael Wood's BBC history TV series Great British Story in 2011.
Contents
History of Holy Trinity Church
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Early Beginnings
Records show that a church has stood on this spot since the time of King Edward the Confessor (1042–1066). An early Saxon Earl named Alric gave the church and some land to the Benedictine Abbey of Bury St Edmund's. We don't have descriptions of the first Saxon church. However, we know that priests have served here since the 1100s.
Building the New Church (1400s)
The church you see today was mostly rebuilt between 1467 and 1497. Only a few parts of the older church remain. These include the former Lady Chapel and the main arches in the nave.
A very rich local wool merchant, John Clopton, paid for most of the rebuilding. He lived nearby at Kentwell Hall. John Clopton supported the Lancastrian side during the Wars of the Roses. He was even put in the Tower of London in 1462. But unlike others, he was not executed. He lived to see his side win a big battle in 1485. We know the dates of the church's rebuilding from old wills. These documents left money to pay for the work.
The Main Tower's Changes
In 1710, lightning struck and damaged the church's main tower. It was replaced with a brick tower in the 1700s. Later, between 1898 and 1903, the tower was rebuilt again. This time, it was designed by George Frederick Bodley in a style called Victorian Gothic Revival. The new tower looks more like the original, with stone and flint, and four new pointed tops called pinnacles.
Exploring the Church
How Big Is It?
The church is quite large! Here are some of its measurements:
| Total length of church and Lady Chapel | 245 ft |
| Length of nave | 152 ft 6 ins |
| Height of nave | 41 ft 6 ins |
| Length of aisles | 135 ft 4 ins |
| Height of aisles | 24 ft |
The nave is the main part of the church where people sit. At about 152 feet long, it is thought to be the longest nave in any parish church in England. The first five sections of the nave are believed to be from an earlier church building.
The inside of the church is very bright. It has 74 windows, and many still have their original medieval glass. One window shows Elizabeth Talbot, Duchess of Norfolk. Some people say this image inspired John Tenniel's drawing of the Queen of Hearts in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary is the area around the altar. It has a large reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar. This one is made of Caen stone and was put in place in 1877.
On the north side, you'll find the tomb of Sir William Cordell. He was the first person to support the church after the Abbey of Bury St Edmund's closed in 1539. Around his tomb are statues representing four important qualities: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude.
The sanctuary also has a very old alabaster panel showing the birth of Jesus. It dates back to the 1300s. This panel was hidden under the floor, probably during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. It was found again in the 1700s. It might have been part of a larger altar piece that was destroyed during the Reformation.
The Clopton Chapel
The Clopton Chapel is in the north-east part of the church. It honors different members of the Clopton family. They used it as their private place of worship.
The tomb of Sir William Clopton is here. It has a statue of him wearing chain mail and plate armour. Sir William died in 1446, so this part of the church is older than the main rebuilding in the late 1400s. There are also many brass plaques on the floor. These remember other Clopton family members, some from the 1400s and 1500s.
The chapel has an altar and a double squint. A squint is a small opening that allowed priests to see the main altar when they were holding services.
The Clopton Chantry Chapel
The Clopton Chantry Chapel is a smaller chapel in the far north-east corner. You get to it from the Clopton Chapel. This was the original Lady Chapel and is the oldest part of the church today. After John Clopton died in 1497, his will said this chapel should be made bigger and nicer. He wanted to be buried there with his wife. The chapel was then renamed.
The tomb of John Clopton and his wife is in the wall leading into the chapel. Inside, the ceiling shows faded pictures of the couple. There's also a picture of Jesus with a Latin message that means "Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." Empty spaces on the south wall probably once held statues of saints. Around the top edge, a poem by John Lydgate is written like a scroll.
The Lady Chapel
The Lady Chapel is a separate building connected to the east end of the main church. It has a unique design with a central area surrounded by pillars. This design shows it was originally meant to be a chantry chapel for John Clopton's tomb. But his wife died before it was finished, so she was buried in the old Lady Chapel. John Clopton was later buried next to her.
The stone carvings in the Lady Chapel look similar to those at King's College Chapel in Cambridge. It's believed that the same master builder, Reginald Ely, worked on both churches.
From 1670 until the early 1700s, the chapel was used as a school. A multiplication table on the east wall reminds us of this time. The steep roof gables also date from this period.
The Martyn Chapel
The Martyn Chapel is south of the main altar area. It holds the tombs of several members of the Martyn family. They were important local wool merchants in the 1400s and 1500s and also helped fund the church. You can see the tomb of Lawrence Martyn (who died in 1460) and his two wives. On the floor are flat tomb slabs for Roger Martyn (died 1615) and his two wives, and Richard Martyn (died 1624) and his three wives.
This chapel once had an altar with two gilded shrines. One showed an image of Christ, and the other showed an image of Mary. These shrines were very tall, but they were removed or destroyed during the English Reformation when King Edward VI was in power.
The Organs
Holy Trinity Church has two pipe organs. The main organ in the church was built in 1867 by J. W. Walker. You can find details about it on the National Pipe Organ Register.
There is also a smaller pipe organ in the Lady Chapel. This one is called a positive pipe organ. Its details are also on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Amazing Stained Glass
Most medieval stained glass in England was destroyed during the Reformation and the English Civil War. But the glass at Long Melford is a rare treasure that survived! The church has eight medieval windows. One shows a rare image of the Virgin Mary, believed to be one of only three like it in England.
Many windows feature what historian Pevsner called "a unique collection of kneeling donors." These are pictures of important people from the 1400s who helped build the church. They include Elizabeth Talbot, Duchess of Norfolk, two mayors of London, royal judges, and members of the Clopton family. The Cloptons were the main force behind the church's construction.
The medieval glass was made by the Norwich School in the mid-to-late 1400s. It is called "the best collection of medieval glass in Suffolk." The windows were moved to their current spot in the north aisle in the 1960s.
Parish Status
The Parish of Long Melford is part of a group of churches called the Chadbrook Benefice. The other churches in this group are:
- St George's Church, Shimplingthorne
- St Peter and St Paul's Church, Alpheton
- St Catherine's Church, Long Melford
Images for kids
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Image of Elizabeth de Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk in one of the medieval stained glass windows.
