Monday 3 January 2022

A Late Helping of Christmas Trees at Holy Innocents Church

 Before Christmas I decided a morning out among the Christmas shoppers would be good, but where to go? It had to somewhere with lots of charity shops and somewhere that I'd not been recently. So off to Bury St Edmunds and I could "do" a church on the way home without going far out of the way.

A few miles north of BSE is Holy Innocents Church in Great Barton.  28th of December was Holy Innocents Day. Remembering the day Herod had the children of Bethlehem massacred. This is a very unusual dedication for a Suffolk Church.

 It's one of those churches that's situated well out of the village.

As you know the churches I'm visiting are ones that get a mention in a book called '100 years and 100 Treasures in 100 Suffolk Churches'. but I'm a bit puzzled, because the reason this church is in the book is because of it's large and old Chancel and  Honestly I'm not sure it is larger and older than many of the others visited!

 

Not an ounce of sunshine to make a shadow on the sundial. The outer glass doors to the porch are an unusual feature.

 When I stepped into the church I found that there had been a tree festival there the weekend before and most of the trees were still around the church and lit.

And below is the large Chancel - always the first part of the church to be built and this one dates from C13 (whoops a bit fuzzy)

Beautifully decorated organ pipes

 

Glorious stained glass windows

The window below commemorates the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887

 

Oh heck, another fuzzy picture - anyone would think I had been on the Christmas sherry a week before Christmas!

The pew ends have some good carvings

 

Including this dog, carved to celebrate the sheepdogs that were highly valued when sheep and wool was an important part of Suffolk commerce (not looking like any sheepdog I have ever seen!)

The font cover is so tall

 

Many of the churches I have visited since you-know-what have had the kneelers stored away - as if a person could contract something nasty by kneeling on one! But here they were out as they should be. Looking colourful and lovingly stitched

and a few of the Christmas trees around the church

Thanks to Simon Knott there is more information and much better photos HERE on the Suffolk Churches website

 

Back Tomorrow
Sue


40 comments:

  1. Yes those glass doors do look odd - as does the microphone and trailing wire. Modern things in centuries old church buildings look so out of place, I think. The kneelers are so beautifully decorated. Thanks Sue, another interesting post (had to laugh at the blurred photos!).

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    1. The glass doors are very practical for stopping leaves blowing into the porch

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  2. What a fabulous church, definitely one I'd like to visit. I love the Pre-Raphaelite Queen Esther in her gorgeous gown. Sooze's comment made me wonder. Most of the parish churches were built without organ or pews. Did the Victorians comment on these "modern, out of place additions"?

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    1. They must have been very thankful when benches and pews were introduced into churches - especially the Victorians who had to endure very long sermons.
      I don't mind modern improvements at all -anything to make better use of these beautiful buidings

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  3. There have been several 'kneeler stitchers' in my family. I love seeing them on display like this.

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    1. I've been in many churches during covid where the kneelers have been put away - seemed so odd

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  4. You mean you weren't on the sherry, Sue. But why not? It's been Christmas, after all!
    (made me smile too)
    Very pleasant to catch another Christmas tree festival after Christmas. I love the colour and sparkle.
    The kneelers are lovely - I am glad they are random and not to a set pattern.
    xx

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    1. Trouble is it was the week before Christmas and I can't stand sherry so no idea about the camera movement

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  5. What a coincidence you are writing about the Church you visited for I went to our village church St.Michael's yesterday I went to see how it was decorated. The altar is very different from the usual this one has the Baby Jesus etc all enclosed in the alter and will be soon be covered by a beautiful cloth, I was sad that there were no photos that I could buy. It was a lovely walk and had a nice chat with a lady doing so gardening.
    I made a kneeler for the church I use to attend several years ago when I was at WI.
    Very interesting post.
    Hazel 🌈🌈

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    1. Sounds like a good visit. The kneelers at Gt Barton were so cheerful

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  6. The children are considered martyrs, saints, which is why you get churches dedicated to the Holy Innocents. My aunt and uncle lived in Great Barton when they moved out of Bury and had a big house built and my grandparents moved to the grounds and lived there too for the last days of their lives. I went to their funerals in the church.

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    1. Among all the churches dedicated to St Mary, one to The Holy Innocents is quite unusual in Suffolk.
      Gt Barton is one of those villages that has grown recently

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  7. Love the dog and kneelers.

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    1. I was so pleased to see the kneelers out for use

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  8. I don't think I have ever seen a church with glazed doors before, how unusual. Those kneelers are works of art.

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    1. I thought the glazed doors looked a really good addition, I've often been in churches where the porches are full of leaves and dust.

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  9. A beautiful church and clearly an active and caring congregation, the kind it would be a joy to belong to.

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    1. It's good to see a church being looked after

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  10. You get a feeling of peace just looking at those pictures of the inside of the church, funny that isn't it?
    The kneelers are wonderful, I love the colours.
    I remember the one's I used to kneel on in church when I was a kid, nothing like that, lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. My photos were not good - it was better in real life!

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  11. We love that kneeler with the bay and the fishing boat. That really does have some interest and colour.

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  12. What a lovely and interesting church. Just beautiful. --Elise

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    1. I've visited more than 50 now and they have all been beautiful in one way or another

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  13. The carvings are lovely and the windows spectacular!
    Happy New year.
    Cathy

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    1. There are so many lovely stained glass windows in our churches we are lucky

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  14. I like those kneeler pads - so pretty! I am assuming local parishioners make them? I also liked the little decorated trees all around as they are so sweet. Helps to brighten up this serious building! The carvings are fabulous - especially the cute dog!

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    1. Yes they would have been made locally over the years

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  15. This church is amazingly beautiful. The soaring white walls and ceilings and stained glass windows as well as the lovely organ make a spectacular church. The church exudes a loving and devoted community. The parish members did a very nice job displaying Christmas trees and the kneelers are works of art.

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  16. I always try to sneak a peek at the kneelers. They're like folkart to me and I've seen some really imaginative ones over the years. Arilx

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  17. Beautiful church and the trees.

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  18. What a gorgeous organ. So beautifully decorated.

    God bless.

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  19. Love the kneelers and the carved end pieces.

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  20. These kneelers are so beautiful - we have nothing like that here, only pieces of heavy grey or brown felt or the whole kneeling bench upholstered.
    I love your posts about the churches, because I like to visit churches, too, wherever I go. There is always something interesting or at least unusual. The churches here don´t have those wide towers like yours have, they are as high but much more slim, which gives a totally different impression.
    Hilde in Germany

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  21. Another beautiful church. Thanks for sharing your visit there!

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