St Mary the Virgin's Church, Stonham Parva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church,Stonham Parva |
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St Mary the Virgin's Church, Stonham Parva, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | TM 115 601 |
| Location | Stonham Parva, Suffolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 December 1955 |
| Architect(s) | E. F. Bishopp (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Plastered rubble with freestone dressings, flint tower |
St Mary the Virgin's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Stonham Parva, Suffolk, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which is why it is called a "redundant church." This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it is very important historically and architecturally. The Churches Conservation Trust now looks after it. You can find the church about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Ipswich, just west of the A140 road.
Contents
History of the Church Building
The main parts of the church, like the nave (the central area where people sit) and the chancel (the area near the altar), were built in the 1300s. The church was greatly changed and updated in the early 1500s. Later, in the 1800s, it was "restored" by E. F. Bishopp. This means parts of the church were repaired and brought back to how they might have looked originally.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is mostly built from rubble (rough stones) covered with stucco (a type of plaster). The tower, however, is made of flint stones without plaster. The church has a nave with a clerestory (a row of windows high up), a porch on the south side, a small chapel also on the south side, a chancel, and a tower at the west end.
The tower, clerestory, and chapel are built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, which was popular in England from the late 1300s to the early 1500s. The tower has a small, round staircase tower on its southeast corner. The top of the tower has a parapet (a low wall) with decorative stone patterns. Below this wall is a carved frieze (a long, narrow decoration). At each corner of the tower are tall, slender pinnacles (pointed decorations).
The nave also has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. The ends of the roof have "crow-stepped parapets," which look like steps. The large window at the east end of the church looks like it's from the 1300s, but it was actually rebuilt in the 1800s. All the other windows were added in the early 1500s.
Inside the Church
The nave has a special type of wooden roof called a "double hammerbeam roof." It has six sections and features carved human figures, though their faces are now damaged. The chancel has a different kind of roof, decorated with carved angels.
On the walls of the chancel, you can see small alcoves (recessed areas) that hold statues of Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). There is also a piscina (a basin used for washing sacred vessels) from the 1400s or 1500s.
At the back of the church, there is a gallery (a raised platform) from the early 1700s. The baptismal font (a large bowl used for baptisms) is made of limestone and has eight sides. It dates back to the 1400s. The base of the font is carved with lions, and the bowl has different symbols. Angels also support the bowl.
On a wall in the nave, you can see the Royal Arms of Queen Anne, who was queen in the early 1700s. There is also a special wall tablet remembering Gilbert Mouse, who died in 1622. It's a slate plaque with an alabaster frame decorated with images that remind people of death, like skulls.
The church has an organ with two keyboards, built in 1929 by J. Rayson and Son. There are also five bells in the church tower. The oldest bell was made around 1490. The other bells were cast in 1617, 1729, 1816, and 1817 by different bell makers.
See also
