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Category: Suffolk

July 23, 2014

Hessett, Suffolk – St Ethelbert

Hessett is just a mile or two down the road from Beyton, and the church is opposite the Five Bells pub. When we were here it was a smashing place to eat – we entertained lots of our fellow clergy here. Indeed, it was here (and back at his house) that my wife beat an Archdeacon in a whisky drinking competition. (Mrs Archdeacon was not amused!). An early C16 porch – rather magnificent.               The tower is, to quote the guide, “handsome though not very lofty. It is nicely proportioned and contains more...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Suffolk Comments: 0
July 18, 2014

Beyton, Suffolk – All Saints’

With my normal level of organisation I said to Julie “it’s either Beyton or Hessett that has a wall painting.” It’s Hessett – but first we parked at Beyton. Village around the Green, now (thankfully) bypassed, then the church set off to the south on higher ground along the Hessett road. The first thing that strikes you – apart from the fact they can spell “Millennium” (there’s a garage near us which has it wrong on everything) – is this massive round tower. It has a Saxon core, and the buttress was added in the Middle Ages. The guide...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Suffolk Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

The Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

How can I write a shortish blog post about the Cathedral where I was ordained; where my four children were baptised (to be precise Theo was baptised at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and later welcomed into the congregation); where three were confirmed; where they sang as choristers (to be precise Hannah was only in the St Cecilia Chorale, the Cathedral Choir is boys-only); where I started as a Minor Canon in 1996, became Chaplain in 2001, then Canon Pastor in 2003 (or was it 2004 – I can’t be bothered to go and find the paperwork); where I baptised, married and...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 5
July 11, 2014

Fornham All Saints’, Suffolk

The Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, and 50 of us for a Eucharist – much appreciated. 20 years since Ordination, and none of us looked any older! I went back the following day for a look round – the church is open every day. When I was here as a Curate, a teenager and an older lady arrived on the doorstep one day. “Could they look round the church?” I told them it was open and we got chatting. It turned out the young lady was a school-refuser and the older lady her tutor. The young lady could...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Fornham St Martin, Suffolk

Fornham St Martin is a village north of Bury St Edmunds. The full name of the parish is “Fornham All Saints with Fornham St Martin cum St Genevieve” – try fitting that on a marriage certificate! We parked by the Woolpack pub website – which was always welcoming – and found the church open. It is a lovely red brick porch, late medieval, and the noticeboards were well organised – one my hates is scruffy noticeboards! The tower is a result of a large legacy in 1425. Inside, I had forgotten quite how bright the kneelers are. Shortly before we...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk/World War 1 Comments: 0
July 11, 2014

Wordwell, Suffolk – All Saints’

Into Suffolk and my old benefice. The first church we stopped at was All Saints’, Wordwell. This is now maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust – fascinating how their sign has changed. They have an excellent website, and even a phone app. (I have downloaded the app, but need Harry to show me how it works!). It is a Norman building which had fallen into disuse by the early C19. In the 1850s it was renovated by the architect Samuel Teulon.   Over the door, inside the south porch, is a wonderful tympanum, and inside the church, another one....
Categories Churches Conservation Trust/Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 2
July 11, 2014

Back to Suffolk

Thursday 3 July 2014 – the Feast of St Thomas. I was deaconed in 1994 and priested a year later. My first Eucharist was celebrated at Fornham All Saints nineteen years ago today, so I had arranged to celebrate there again today. I ended up in Suffolk after my three years at Lincoln Theological College. My sending Diocese – Ely – had the first call on me. They suggested Wisbech St Mary as a curacy; that was a long way from nowhere. In those far-off days dioceses that could not fill their places sent them to the Colleges, and Bill...
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