To understand the reason for this small church being dedicated to St Botolph and being a chapel of ease to the church at the nearby village of Redgrave would take several paragraphs but Simon Knott has already done this on the Suffolk Churches website. So it's much easier for me to direct you there!
The website explains the history of this building from Catholic times to Protestant and it's use as a school .
Botesdale itself is an unusual village as it joins directly to the village of Rickinghall and the chapel is even more unusual as it is attached to a house.
It's thanks to the website that I know this inscription above the door was given by a wealthy person to ask for prayers during the Black Death, probably in the 1470's, although it has a later window cut through it.
It says in Latin Pray for the souls of John Shrive and Juliana his wife. Pray for the soul of Margaret Wykys.
Stepping through the door into a room with wood panelling, notice boards and chairs - it feels like the school it was.
To match the size of the chapel the font is much smaller than those in bigger churches.
Inside is small and neat with pews and woodwork from other churches dating from C19 and earlier.
A kneeler at the altar
From the altar looking back you can see the unusual gallery - very like a Baptist or Methodist church would have. The organ is up there but the door is kept locked so the gallery can't be accessed.
I shall try to go to the 'mother' church at Redgrave sometime although it is now no longer in use and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust and kept locked. The parish walked away from it when the upkeep was too much and hoped someone would look after it. People in Redgrave now have a 'modern' church in the village hall - all very controversial in the early 2000's.
Back Soon
Sue
That's so unusual - and pretty - from the outside. What a shame they destroyed part of that prayer request by putting a window in the middle of it!
ReplyDeleteLot's of things weren't bothered about when churches were 'modernised' - sad now but they must have thought things were outdated
DeleteMy immediate reaction to that photo was "it looks like Baptist Chapel" too! There's a lot of work in the tapestry kneeler. Thanks Sue
ReplyDeleteThe pews in the balcony at Wetherden Baptist chapel were so steep - when we were young (usually at tea time between afternoon and evening service on Sunday School Anniversary Sunday)and went up there it felt quite scary to climb right to the back!
DeleteI love that pinkish colour of the attached house next door. And that kneeler is so tidy in its stitches.
ReplyDelete'Suffolk Pink' - used Bulls blood originally!
DeleteGood old Simon Knott! What would we do without him. We actually went to the same school though he was a few years younger than me and I don't remember him at all.
ReplyDeleteIt's rather bad of me pinching all his information! - but it's been a great help on my Suffolk churches exploration
DeleteThat’s such an unusual church.
ReplyDeleteIt's very odd and I'm glad I found out about it
DeleteThanks for the link to more info about this interesting church. In our area, there are going to be many church closures over the next few years. Two have ready been demolished in recent weeks and one turned into flats. Catriona
ReplyDeleteDemolishing is a bit drastic, they are turned into homes around here or cafes if in town
DeleteYou don't see many semi-detached chapels.
ReplyDeletePretty unique I think
DeleteHow unusual and interesting, thank you. I was fascinated by the gallery.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
The Baptist chapel I went to and the Methodist church that was Father- in Laws place of worship both had galleries
DeleteA church with a house attached is most unusual. Do church leaders live in the house?
ReplyDeleteNo it's privately owned - perhaps it was once used by the church but that would have been 100's of years ago
DeleteWhat a lovely chapel. I really enjoy the stained glass windows.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
What a lovely church! I really enjoy reading these posts.
ReplyDelete