Church of St Mary
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THE CHURCHES CONSERVATION TRUST The Churches Conservation Trust is Visitors are most welcome and we hope this the national charity that cares for and guidebook will encourage you to explore CHURCH OF preserves English churches of historic, these wonderful buildings. architectural or archaeological importance that Historic churches, due to their age and previous are no longer needed for regular worship. use, often have uneven and worn floors. Please ST MARY It promotes public enjoyment of them and take care, especially in wet weather when floors their use as an educational and community and steps can also be slippery. Rickinghall Superior, resource. In 2009 the Trust celebrates Suffolk 40 years of saving historic churches at risk. Making a donation Your donation, no matter how small, will There are over 340 Trust churches scattered enable The Churches Conservation Trust to widely through the length and breadth of save more historic churches across England. England, in town and country, ranging from If you would like to make a contribution, ancient, rustic buildings to others of great please use a Gift Aid envelope located at the richness and splendour; each tells a unique church you visit, see our website story of people and place. All are worth visiting. www.visitchurches.org.uk , or contact our fundraising team on 020 7213 0673. Many churches are open all year round, others have keyholders nearby; entry is Nearby are the Trust churches of free to all. A notice explaining opening St Mary, Redgrave arrangements or keyholders will normally be 4 miles W of Diss off B1113 found at the church. Such information can also St Andrew, Sapiston be obtained from the Trust during office hours. 7 miles SE of Thetford off A1088 We strongly recommend checking our website St John the Baptist, Stanton www.visitchurches.org.uk for the most up to 9 miles NE of Bury St Edmunds off A143 date opening and access details and directions . 1 West Smithfield London EC1A 9EE Tel: 020 7213 0660 Fax: 020 7213 0678 Email: [email protected] £1.00 www.visitchurches.org.uk Registered Charity No. 258612 Spring 2009 © The Churches Conservation Trust 2009 Rickinghall Superior, Suffolk Church of St Mary, Rickinghall Superior 3 Church of ST MARY by Roy Tricker (Field Officer with The Churches Conservation Trust 1991–2002, church enthusiast, historian and lay canon) History Exterior St Mary’s stands beside the B1113 road to 14th century by the de Hyntlesham family. St Mary’s has a peaceful and rural wayside More flushwork can be seen at the bases of Stowmarket, just south of where it crosses There was also a Manor in Rickinghall setting, affording pleasant views of the north the nave buttresses and on the porch. At the the A143, which by-passes the adjoining Superior known as Facon’s Hall. which was Suffolk countryside. Although it comprises base of the tower parapet, on the north and villages of Rickinghall and Botesdale. mentioned in the 16th century, but for many only chancel, nave, south porch and square south sides, are fine gargoyles, which Botesdale (which has its own medieval years now the Rickinghalls have been grouped western tower, it has a fine and noble discharge rainwater from the roof. Carved chapel of ease) is in the parish of Redgrave, together. It is very probable that the population exterior, incorporating several features of into the stonework of the south -west tower whose glorious church is now also in the of Rickinghall Superior moved down to the beauty and antiquity, and well worth inspecting buttress, about 7ft (2. 1m) from the ground, care of The Churches Conservation Trust. old coaching road from Norwich to Bury and standing back to admire. is a mason ’s mark, showing a square and The parishes of Rickinghall Inferior and St Edmunds as the use of this highway compasses, which is one of the finest Superior have shared the same priest for increased leaving the church and a very few Tower examples in the county. many years, although the old civil boundary houses away on the higher ground. Like many The tower is neither ornate nor particularly between East and West Suffolk once divided villages in the area, the Rickinghalls possessed lofty, but is attractive and beautifully Chancel them. Rickinghall Inferior’s round-towered a large amount of common-land, but this was proportioned. It dates from the 14th century The chancel dates from the early 14th century church, which is now the parish church for enclosed in the early 19th century. and is a worthy example of the Decorated and its three-light Decorated east window has the united parishes, stands in the valley about No traces of the church mentioned in period of English architecture, which is seen good tracery, based upon a ‘skeleton’ design half a mile (0.8 km) to the north and was 1086 remain in the present building; the in the west window, the belfry windows and of simple intersecting tracery. Of similar date always known at the ‘lower’ church. earliest work to be seen here today dates the small quatrefoil openings that light the is the southern priest’s doorway, which has Rickinghall Superior church, situated at the from the 14th century. middle chamber. The flushwork parapet, once an ogee-shaped arch, terminating in a foliated north-west end of its parish, on high ground crowned with corner pinnacles, was added in finial and flanked by corbel heads, of which and rather aloof from its population, was the 15th century, and may well be the work the easternmost is now very decayed. The known as the ‘upper’ church. of the Aldryche family of North Lopham. north and south walls are each lit by two Because Rickinghall and Botesdale had Beneath the stepped battlements are windows. The eastern windows are in the three Anglican churches within a mile (1.6 km) traceried panels and also wheels and other Perpendicular style of the 15th century and of each other, St Mary’s retired from full-time motifs, including the ‘IHS’ monogram of Our the smaller western windows have depressed parochial use in 1977. In 1981 it was placed Lord and the ‘MR’ for His Mother. Flushwork Perpendicular arches, with simpler tracery. in the care of what is now The Churches panelling, using dressed stone and knapped In the churchyard to the north of the chancel Conservation Trust. (split) flints, is a common and attractive are some attractive 18th-century headstones. Rickinghall Superior and its church are feature in East Anglian churches, where Remembering that the maintenance of the mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086 and durable stone for carving was rare and had to chancel was the responsibility of the rector, the Manor of Rickinghall was owned in the be brought from other parts of the country. whilst the parishioners shared the upkeep of 4 Church of St Mary, Rickinghall Superior Church of St Mary, Rickinghall Superior 5 the rest of the church, it is not surprising that tracery, possibly influenced by the 14th-century be the work of Norwich craftsmen and The stone pinnacle near the entrance is this chancel is rather small and humble in east window. A window on the north side has probably dates from the rededication of the from the tower parapet, and the bier nearby, comparison with the wide and lofty nave, been shortened to accommodate the north church in 1442. The window above gives light made in 1763, was used to carry the coffin which is a magnificent piece of 15th-century doorway, which has a continuously-moulded to the parvise; a smaller window can be seen at funerals. craftsmanship. arch and decayed corbel heads. The east wall lower down on the east side. The porch was The octagonal 14th-century font has a plain of the nave on this side has a slight abutment originally crowned with pinnacles. stem, supporting a bowl which is a masterpiece Nave containing the rood-loft stairs. The south-west Inside, the porch has a fine groined roof of the medieval stonemason ’s craft. This is It is clear that a major rebuilding took place in window is also shortened because to the with a tierceron vault. On its eastern window beautifully carved with intricate patterns on its the 15th century because a will, dated 1442, south of it stood a small chapel; this may sill have been scratched some graffiti of cardinal faces, alternating with four different bequeathed 40 shillings to the ‘dedication and have been a chantry chapel, or possibly the considerable age, including the outline of a three-light traceried panels. There is also a sanctification’ of the church, and it was Lady Chapel, which was repaired with human hand. fine Victorian brass ewer. probably at this time that the present nave money bequeathed in 1474. When the Above the 15th-century tower arch is a took shape. East Anglian churches are rich in foundations of the chapel were excavated in small quatrefoil which may have served as a late Perpendicular architecture and here we the 1950s, it was found to have extended sanctus bell window . On the tower walls see a worthy example of this style at its about 1 4ft (4.2 7m) westwards of the porch Interior hang a benefactions board (1843) and two zenith. The masonry has been ingeniously and 8ft (2.4 4m) south of the nave wall. peal boards (1845 and 1913). St Mary ’s has a constructed to form a chequer pattern, It is known that chapels of Our Lady and of The interior is bright and spacious, the lofty ring of six bells , which were rehung in a new combining stone, pebbles and knapped flints, St Margaret of Antioch existed here before nave being 5 8ft (17.6 8m) long and no less frame by Bowell of Ipswich in 1906.