St Mary's Church, Kersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Kersey |
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St Mary's Church, Kersey
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| 52°3′27.21″N 0°55′9.16″W / 52.0575583°N 0.9192111°W | |
| OS grid reference | TM 00207 43946 |
| Location | Kersey, Suffolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 8 |
| Tenor bell weight | 14 long cwt 2 qr 2 lb (1,626 lb or 738 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kersey |
| Deanery | Hadleigh |
| Archdeaconry | Ipswich |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
St Mary's Church is a very old and special church located in the village of Kersey, Suffolk. It's a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered very important and protected. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
The Shrine at St Mary's
In the Middle Ages, St Mary's was a very important place for people to visit on a pilgrimage. It had a special shrine that took up the entire north side of the church. This shrine managed to survive when Henry VIII closed down many monasteries. However, it was later destroyed around the time of the English Civil War.
On March 8, 2020, the shrine was made sacred again in a special ceremony. You can find more information about it on the church's website.
Events and Activities
The newly restored shrine and church now host many fun arts and music events. They have jazz evenings twice a year, classical music concerts, and even film nights and dances. Many different events happen regularly.
The "Thank God Church" Story
The shrine was made sacred again with a special guest, Leading Aircraftman Dougie Vince. He was a flight engineer on a bomber plane during a war. His plane was attacked while returning from a mission. The navigation tools were broken, and a fire started in the back of the aircraft. They were low on fuel and didn't know where they were.
Luckily, the air force had placed two searchlights in St Mary's churchyard. These lights shone on the church tower, giving pilots a known point to find their way. Because of this, the church earned the nickname "Thank God Church." Mr. Vince's bomber used the church to figure out their location and landed safely at a nearby airfield. Sadly, the rear gunner, Mick McGoven, died in the fire. Leading Aircraftman Vince's hand was badly burned as he fought the flames.
History of the Church
The oldest parts of St Mary's Church were built in the 1100s. A big rebuilding project probably started with the north aisle, which was connected to the main part of the church by an archway. This part was finished in 1335.
Work then began on the church tower. However, it was delayed because of the terrible Black Death plague in 1349. The tower was finally completed in 1481. After that, the north and south porches were added to the church.
Church Design and Features
The church is built from flint and stone. It stands on high ground south of the village. Around 1335, the north aisle was built, and the tower's foundations were laid. The tower was finished in 1481.
Outside the Church
The tower has four main levels. It has strong diagonal supports called buttresses. The top of the tower has a decorative, castle-like edge called a parapet with a checkerboard pattern made of flint. There's also an eight-sided staircase tower.
The south porch has two sections with buttresses that rise up to pointed decorations called pinnacles. The north porch looks similar but is a bit simpler.
Inside the Church
Inside, the ceiling has beautifully shaped and carved wooden beams and panels. The roof over the main part of the church has special beams called hammer beams. These alternate with tie beams that have arched supports meeting in the middle.
The church has two baptismal fonts, which are basins used for baptisms. One is from the 1100s, and the other is from the 1400s. There is also a reading stand (lectern) and a screen separating the altar area (chancel screen), both from the 1400s. The north aisle has a stone carving called a frieze that has been damaged over time.
The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was rebuilt in 1862 by King's College, Cambridge. A small room called a vestry was also added in the northeast corner.
Special Features Inside
Organ
The church has a large pipe organ made by Bishop & Son, a company from Ipswich and London. This organ has two keyboards, called manuals. You can find more details about it on the National Pipe Organ Register. The organ was moved in 2012-2013. This was done to create space for a kitchen and toilets at the west end of the north aisle.
Tower
The church tower is home to a community book crossing. It holds over a hundred books for people to share. This resource was very popular during the Covid pandemic and is much loved by the local community.
Weddings and funerals use the 15th-century West doors to enter. You might notice that the tower, the main part of the church (nave), and the altar area (chancel) are slightly off-center. The tower contains eight bells.
Rood Screen
St Mary's Church is special because it still has a small part of its medieval rood screen. A rood screen was a decorative partition that separated the nave from the chancel in old churches. This section was found on a local farm and has been carefully restored. The panels on the screen show pictures of saints and kings. One of the kings shown is Edmund the Martyr, holding an arrow.
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A section of the rood screen.
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Another part of the rood screen.
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Close-up of the rood screen details.
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Parish Information
St Mary's Church is part of a group of churches called a benefice. This group includes four other churches:
- St Mary's Church, Aldham
- St Peter's Church, Elmsett
- St Nicholas' Church, Hintlesham
- All Saints and St Margaret's Church, Chattisham
