Tuesday 27 September 2022

Orford Village and St. Bartholomew's Church

 It was an age since I visited one of the churches in the 100 Treasures in 100 Suffolk Churches Book. 

So after visiting the Rural Bygones sale at Campsea Ash I carried on to the coast at Orford,a popular Suffolk tourist village that really is at the end of a road.

 Orford is  almost on the coast beside the River Ore (which starts out as the River Alde further north) as it twists and turns between ever shifting shingle banks  to the sea at Shingle Streeet. It's well known for it's castle built in the 1160's, Pinneys smokehouse, RSPB Havergate Island and the old Radar Station on Orford Ness - now a nature reserve owned by the National Trust.

This is the view across the river to the Ness and the old buildings used during and after WWII. 


Both Orford Ness Nature Reserve and Havergate Island are only reached by ferries which don't run all the time but have to be booked.

The river is a favourite place for yachting and fishing

There are lots of  fishermen's huts along the quay



A map of the village

Pinneys Of Orford  restaurant and posh food shop

The church sits on a small rise ¼ mile from the river. The tower was rebuilt very recently in the 1960/70s after it fell in 1830


The reason for the church getting a mention in the 100 Suffolk Churches book is because of the ruins of the Norman chancel built quite early in the Norman era and then rebuilt during the C12 at the same time as the castle . The  nave of the church was rebuilt again in C14 and the chancel was still attached then but the village declined and the older part fell into disrepair and was abandoned and walled off sometime in the 1700s.


Buttresses prop up the end of the church which was built after the old chancel fell apart

As usual the font is the first thing to see as you step into the church, this has several carved panels some not seen anywhere else


Since about 1710 the nave and aisles have been the whole church  and makes the church  almost square

The C19 rood screen is still intact

As there is no chancel the altar is in the main church and seems very large 

In the Lady Chapel is a lamp in the shape of the Crown of thorns. A recent bronze sculpture by Orford artist Tim Fargher


Dedication to the donor of the organ

There are still some brasses on the floor tombs - often they've been stolen in the distant past or removed for safe keeping


Pieces of medieval floor tiles found during the restoration of the tower in 1971

 Looks as if whoever this Saint is he is holding the old church . This is over the porch and I should have asked more about it.
 
The castle built by Henry 2nd in the 1160's is a few 100 yards from the church and is completely wrapped in scaffolding and plastic at the moment.  I would have gone to have a closer look but just as I took this photo it started raining out of a mainly blue sky so as I'd got no jacket and no umbrella and didn't fancy a soggy 45 minute journey home I hurried back to the carpark.



Back Soon
Sue

21 comments:

  1. A rather unusual church, the old lying next to the renovated. The new buttress going through the old arch is a clever idea. Britain is such an extraordinary place of different styles.

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    1. Another village that was once wealthy and then declined. It's mainly touristy now but still has interesting buildings

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  2. I agree with Thelma. Something I've never seen before. I'm surprised that the tower wasn't rebuilt in Victorian times when so many church "improvements" were carried out. LOVE the font. Looks very unusual and apparently there are "wild men" on it. The Norman remains are interesting too. A shame that the castle was wrapped in plastic sheeting.

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    1. It does seem odd that it took so long to rebuild the tower.

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  3. Another very interesting church. I do enjoy your church visits Sue.

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    1. Thank you. I'm not as good at all the details as the man who runs the Suffolk Churches website but I'm learning a lot

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  4. Great post - interested to see the Beacon pole in that last shot

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  5. i havent been there since i was a kid , hasnt changed much...lol

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    1. The main street down to the quay hasn't changed at all except for more traffic. The small 'artisan' shops are all posh now for yachting types and visitors!

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  6. I wonder what the red flowering plant is in the last picture? It looks pretty tall and a lovely color.

    ceci

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    1. Not enough detail to see what the shrub is. Bit too far for me to go back and have another look!

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  7. You have such old lovely churches.
    Cathy

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    1. We certainly do- even though they often have very small congregations

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  8. An interesting addition to your church blog entries. There is a town of Orford north of us here in New Hampshire. I imagine it got its name from your Orford.

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    1. I wouldn't be surprised if your Orford was named from this one, there are a few Suffolks in the US too

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  9. This church carries features not seen before. The nearly square inside and chairs instead of pews is remarkable. The chairs look comfortable with cushioned seats. The carved ancient panels are quite beautiful. When you think about church members gazing at the panels over time, it gives a sense of ancient history, time and place. The water views here are lovely too.

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    1. It is a beautiful church very popular with visitors

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  10. I enjoyed the woodwose on that font. Orford's a lovely place to while away some time isn't it. Arilx

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    1. The wind was a bit 'fresh' for sitting on the quay yacht watching on the day I was there but it was good to visit somewhere I'd not been for several years

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  11. Hello Sue. I've been reading here for a while, but have never commented. It was interesting to read about Orford village, and you might like to know that where we used to live, in South Auckland, New Zealand, was formerly part of the Orford Estate, owned by the Earl of Orford. The original house is a beautiful Arts and Crafts style homestead, set in several hectares of native trees, which largely remain. It is now a public reserve, apart from the area around the house itself. The Countess planted an avenue of native Pohutukawa trees (NZ Christmas trees) along the road frontage of the park, and two of these now enormous, 90 year old trees were on the front of our block of land. The street where the house stands is now called Earl's Court.
    An interesting connection, I thought.
    I hope your renovation goes smoothly. I get twitchy too, when tradesmen are in and out!
    Linda in NZ

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    1. Hello Linda and thank you for your very first comment. The house etc sound really interesting. I didn't know about any connections with Australia .
      Twitchy is exactly the right description for having builders working in the house- I shall remember that!

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