Church Micro 1444 - Stoke-by-Nayland Traditional Cache
Church Micro 1444 - Stoke-by-Nayland
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One of Suffolk's fine 'Wool' churches, its tower dominates the surrounding area for many miles. Decorated outside, its interior has an austere grandeur.From its Saxon-Norman origins the present perpendicular building dates mainly from the 1300's and late 1500's.Entrance is through a well preserved oak door covered with a Tree of Jesse. Its fine long nave has an oak arch braced tie beam roof.
Perhaps only St Peter and St Paul at Lavenham has a grander exterior than this mighty ship. But Lavenham's setting is thoroughly domesticated. Here, in the wild hills above the Dedham Vale, St Mary lifts its great red tower to heaven, and nothing can compare with it. John Constable loved this tower, and it appears several times in his paintings, not always in the right place. Simon Jenkins, in England's 1000 Best Churches, says that when the bells of Stoke-by-Nayland ring, all Suffolk stops to listen. All Essex too, perhaps, since this church is right on the border between the two counties. St Mary is pretty much all of a piece, in the 15th century, although there are some older bits, and a great deal of rather undistinguished 19th century work. But the glory of the church is the red brick tower, completed about 1470 and surmounted by stone spires, reminiscent of Bungay St Mary, away on Suffolk's northern borderland. There are fine views of this from many places, and from many miles away. Close to, it is immense; Stoke by Nayland is, after all, a small village rather than a town, and the setting of cottages only enhances the sense that this tower is enormous. The buttresses are laced with canopied image niches - how amazing it must have looked before the 16th century reformers removed all the statues! Tendring and Howard shields flag up the dead people we'll meet inside.
If the church is open , then I recommend picking up one of the leaflets detailing the heritage walk around the village (50p donation to the church) for it is a very pleasant place to amble around. There are good hostelries here too.
If any body would like to add to this series, please do, but could you please let sadexploration know first, so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
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