There are a few villages south west of Stowmarket that really are in the middle of nowhere and I found my way down some narrow lanes to two of them on Wednesday morning.
St Mary’s Kettlebaston is one of the early Norman churches built around 1180. It is another church that features in the 100 treasures in 100 Suffolk churches book which was published to mark the centenary of the Diocese in 2014.
This Norman font below is the reason for the church getting a mention. Norman fonts are rare in Suffolk although there is another at nearby Preston St Mary – which is the other church I visited on the same morning.
The entrance is between two ancient yew trees
Inside is a lovely light and airy church with some very special features dating from every century since it was built.
There is an unusual modern rood screen designed in 1890 and richly decorated in C20
These panels of holy men are very colourful, information about them is in the third photo down.
Much of the decoration is there because of Father Harold Butler who came here in 1930 at the height of the Anglo Catholic Movement. Kettlebaston became a place of pilgrimage following the emergence of the Oxford Movement which had it’s focal point at Hadleigh a few miles away. Father Butler continued to keep the Catholic traditions until he retired in 1964.
The piscina and seats to the right of the altar
This decorated niche was rediscovered in 1930
One of the corbels under the roof beams
The entrance to the narrow stairs that would have led up to the rood loft so candles could be lit
Also remaining from the High Church Catholic period are two side altars . The Lady altar
and the Sacred Heart Altar
All around the church walls are candle sconces and there are several hanging paraffin lamps as this church has no electric lighting.
Below are photographs of alabaster panels dating from C14 which were found here in 1864 and are in the British Museum. Sorry about the photo quality.
Outside on a buttress a statue of the Coronation of the Queen of Heaven is behind glass and an iron grill. It is a copy of one of the alabaster panels found under the floorboards.
So many unusual things in this village church hidden away in the small lanes of this part of Suffolk.
I’ll write about the other church I visited next week.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
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