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Churches of the British Isles

Gallery: Churches of Suffolk

by Peter Kessler, 17 June 2020

Babergh Part 1: Churches of Sudbury & Lavenham

Church of St Peter, Sudbury, Suffolk

The Church of St Peter, Sudbury, stands on a narrow strip of ground between King Street and Market Hill at the centre of the town. A church existed on this site by 1180, but the present, mainly Perpendicular, building is largely fifteenth century (circa 1485). Its rebuilding was funded by the local guilds and townsfolk. The copper spire at the top of the west tower was added in 1850 but was removed during repairs in 1969. Today the redundant church is a cultural venue.

St George's Church, Sudbury, Suffolk

St George's Church, Sudbury, sits on the west side of Gregory Street, between The Croft to its north and Walnutt Tree Lane to its south. Originally a collegiate church and the town's mother church, it sits on a Saxon site. The present building is mainly Perpendicular with later additions, with a north aisle that dates to 1370 and a south aisle to about a century later. The tower started off with six bells, but two more were later added while the tower was fully restored in 1978.

The Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul, Lavenham, Suffolk

The Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul Lavenham is at the north-east corner of the Church Street and Potland Lane junction. It was founded as a 'wool church', financed primarily by donations from rich late medieval merchants and farmers in that trade. The present chancel replaced a Saxon building in the fourteenth century, and the rest of the late Perpendicular building gradually grew up around it. Further reconstruction took place in 1485-1525 under John Wastell.

Two photos on this page kindly contributed by Elliott Brown and one by Howard Somerville, all via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles' Flickr group.

 

 

     
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