The Church of St Andrew, Cotton

Out of the 100 Suffolk churches featured in the 100 Treasures in Suffolk Churches book that I found in 2017, I've now visited more than 60 and those still to visit are in far flung parts of the county, so with diesel prices rocketing it seemed a good idea visit some churches local to me but Not in the book. 

 St Andrew's is in Cotton, a village we lived in for a few years in the 80's. Set back from the road it has a very large churchyard all the way round and a proper tarmaced path from the gate to the porch.

 

 

The first noticeable thing when you walk in is the large open empty space at the back of the church, it really seems to show how old it is, back to the time before pews, when everyone had to stand. 

 

It's a wide church and light with side aisles and clerestory on each side. The bags hanging on the pews contain childrens books and toys, right ready to keep little people entertained through the service - a lovely idea.

Plastic covers in many places to protect from bat or bird droppings is my guess.

 

 

 

The pews at the front of the church are low level box pews with their own doors

Large candelabras on each side of the chancel and behind you can see the two niches -one is the piscina for washing the Holy Communion vessels and the sedilia a canopied seat.

The font has monks and priests carved all round

 

 

Lots of angels looking down  from the double hammerbeam roof.

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the windows are plain glass with just a few touches of stained glass here and there

 

 

 

Outside they have made this spot into a special place for ashes.A circle surrounded with posts. Around the stone it says "Remembering the people of Cotton whose ashes lie here"

There is one unusual feature regarding the tower, it's not accessible from inside the church but has this large archway for the bell ringers.It's enclosed by wrought iron gates - which are not easy to see in my photo. There are three niches above which would have once held statues.

Interesting brickwork around the clerestory windows

 Simon Knott on his Suffolk Churches website  explains more and says in 2009 the church was locked, which shows how things have changed since then as now very few are locked.

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Sue