St Mary and St Peter's Church, Barham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary and St Peter's Church, Barham |
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| 52°06′56″N 1°07′10″E / 52.115561°N 1.119386°E | |
| OS grid reference | TM 136,509 |
| Location | Church Lane, Barham, Ipswich IP6 0PU |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Central Anglican |
| Weekly attendance | 40 |
| Website | https://claydonchurches.com |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 December 1955 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 350 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Claydon and Barham |
| Deanery | Gipping Valley |
| Archdeaconry | Ipswich |
| Diocese | St Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary and St Peter's Church is an active Anglican church located in the village of Barham. Barham is a small village near the town of Ipswich in England. This church is special because it holds a famous statue by the artist Henry Moore. The statue shows Madonna and the Child. It was originally kept at another church, St Peter's Church in Claydon.
Contents
History of the Church
A church in Barham was first mentioned a very long time ago. It was written about in the Domesday Book. This book was a big survey of England made in 1086. The church building itself shows signs of being even older. Some parts of its tower have a special building style called "long-and-short work." This style was common in Anglo-Saxon times. This means the church might be from the Saxon period, which was before the year 1066.
For many years, the church was known simply as St Mary's. This name was used at least since 1538. In 1975, the church's area, called its parish, grew bigger. It started to include the nearby village of Claydon. When St Peter's Church in Claydon was no longer used for regular services, St Mary's church got a new name. It became St Mary and St Peter's Church.
Famous Art and Memorials
The most well-known piece of art in the church is the Henry Moore statue. It shows Madonna and Child. Henry Moore was a very famous British sculptor. This statue was created as a war memorial. It honors the people from the village who lost their lives in the Second World War.
The statue was first placed in St Peter's Church in Claydon. After St Peter's Church closed, the statue was moved to St Mary and St Peter's Church.
In the past, there were other important memorials and metal artworks in the church. However, many of these were removed or damaged over time. For example, there were monuments in the church's chancel (the area near the altar). These included a monument for Jon Southwell. He was the grandfather of a judge named Thomas Bedingfield. There was also a tomb for someone from the local Shrubland Hall estate.
Church Services Today
St Mary and St Peter's Church is a very important historical building. It was given a special status as a Grade I listed building on December 9, 1955. This means it is considered a building of exceptional interest.
The church holds several services each month.
- On most Sunday mornings, there is a communion service at 8 AM.
- On the first Sunday of each month, a shorter communion service is held at 10 AM.
- On the second and fourth Sundays, a full communion service takes place at 10 AM.
- On the third Sunday of each month, a special community worship service is held at 10 AM. This service is designed for everyone. It welcomes families with children, adults, and people who are new to church. Sometimes, local groups or charities help to lead these services.
If there is a fifth Sunday in a month, a family communion service is held. This service rotates between three different churches in the area. St Mary and St Peter's Church hosts this service about one out of every three times. The other churches are St Mary's Church, Great Blakenham and St Peter's Church, Henley.
Notable People
One famous person connected to the church was William Kirby. He was a priest at the church from 1782 to 1850. He was also a very important entomologist. An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Suffolk
