Friday 4 January 2019

St Mary's Church Woodbridge

It's weeks and months ago since I went to Woodbridge to take these photos. Woodbridge is a small  town compared to Ipswich but bigger than some other towns in the Suffolk Coastal area with a population of 11,000 according to wiki and has an imposing church standing up a hill from the shopping street. My dedication to blogging(!?) had me walking up that hill twice because the first time I opened the door and stepped in I found I was in the middle of a Communion Service - whoops, steps out again quickly!
The tower soars 109 feet above the town



This is the approach to the church  up the hill from the town

The North Porch is patterned with  flints




One of the memorials dating from the 1620's to a prominent weaver and tanner in the town at that time.


Magnificent painted organ pipes

These modern cloth panels stitched to celebrate the Millenium  show the history of the town

The font is rather special as it shows the seven sacraments, set in rays and dating from the C15. A reminder that the history of Anglian churches was once Catholic.
  On the churches website it say that the font decoration may have survived  Puritan destruction because it had been plastered over and then rescued later.


And finally the reason for this church's mention in the 100 treasures book is this. A huge collection of the churches treasures from craftsmen over the last 400 years.
 The book says that "the latest security technology has enabled these to be displayed" . I didn't dare get too close in case it set off an alarm!



More about the church HERE

Back Soon
Sue

13 comments:

  1. What a lot of treasures - and not just the silverware! I'd love to see those embroidered panels.

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  2. A lovely church lots of interest.
    Hazel c uk

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  3. What a beautiful church and those panels are beautiful as well.

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  4. The Anglican church is certainly a very wealthy body despite their crumbling churches but it is not often these days they can display such wealth.
    I love the different patterns of the flint and the painted organ pipes and stone font. It shows just how naturally good we humans are at decorating on or with any type of material and once done it is there to display for a very long time down through the generations.

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  5. SOme real treasures there - beautiful.
    xx

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  6. Your head must have been on a swivel with so many things to see in one place.

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  7. What a beautiful church! I lived in Woodbridge for a year when I first got married. It's a lovely little town. I visit at least once or twice when I go back just to walk along the river front and down by Tide Mill. I haven't ever been in the church though. I shall have to add it to the list.

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  8. A lovely church. Everything looks so well cared for.

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  9. That was quite a find. Were the treasures gold or silver?

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  10. Just beautiful. Thanks for taking us.

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  11. Thank you for sharing another wonderful church with us.

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  12. That is a wealthy church. So many visual delights!

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  13. Regarding your "whoops" moment in the church - it reminds me of when Bill and I had just moved to Bath. We got his ongoing health issues transferred to the local hospital, and he got appointments in two departments, two hours apart. So, in between, we went for a walk. We came to what looked like the back gate of a small church, so decided to explore. We opened the door (which turned out to be a side door) and there were quite a lot of people inside. It must be quite a religious place, we thought, to have such good attendance at a weekday service.
    We stood there quietly for a few moments, then realised - it was a funeral service!!!!!
    Made a quick (but quiet) exit, feeling SO embarrassed!

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