The Church of St Andrew, Bramfield

This is the milestone of 100 churches I've now visited and one of the most interesting

Bramfield church is actually one of the churches in the 100 treasures in 100 Suffolk Churches book, the book I found not long before Colin died, and the reason I got started on the tour of Suffolk Churches and now I've visited nearly 70 from the book and 100 in total.............only 600+ left!

The very unusual thing about this church is that it has a round tower that isn't attached to the church. The only one in Suffolk although there is a similar one in Norfolk.

There is nothing to say that the church ever had a tower attached and this tower is earlier -  possibly from the C12 - than the thatched church which is mostly from the C14. It is known that there was a timber framed church  somewhere here before 1086.

Inside also has many interesting things to see. 

The nave windows give the body of the church a green tinge as all the windows have these unusual stained glass in one colour

Although the east window is multi-coloured glass

But it is the screen, dating from the early C16 that is noticeable straight away as there remains enough colour and moulding to show what it would have looked like 

Some of the panels of saints on the dado have gone but these remain

These two seem to have been repainted in Victorian days

Bramfield might have been the site of an important medieval pilgrimage shrine, and below is a painted recess  that survives in the north wall of the nave. Simon Knott says on the Suffolk Churches website that it was the Shrine of the Good Rood, but another history of the church doesn't mention pilgrimage or shrine at all. There are records that in 1507 Edmund Clarke of Walberswick bequeathed 10 shillings to the amending of the Good Rood and his angels in Bramfield Church.

There are descriptions of what it looked like at the time

Unusual for a small church is this rather grand memorial for Arthur and Elizabeth Coke . Arthur died in 1629 and his wife had died in childbirth two years earlier. Her effigy is life size with her infant daughter in her arms.

There are also some other memorials on the floor of the church going into great detail. One is the ledger stone to Bridgett Applethwaite and says......

. This is the ledger stone to Bridgett Applethwaite, formerly Bridgett Nelson, who after the fatigues of a married life bravely born by her with Incredible Patience for four years and three quarters bating three weeks; and after the Enjoiment of the Glorious Freedom of an Easy and Unblemish't widowhood, for four years and upwards, She resolved to run the risk of a second Marriage-bed. But DEATH forbade the banns, and having with an Apopleptick dart (the same instrument with which he had formerly dispatch't her Mother) Touch't the most vital part of her brain. She must have fallen Directly to the ground (as one Thunder-strook) if she had not been catch't and supported by her Intended Husband. Of which invisible bruise, after a Struggle for above sixty hours, with that Grand Enemy of Life (but the certain and MercifulFriend to Helpless Old Age) In Terrible Convulsions, Plaintive Groans or Stupefying Sleep, without recovery of her speech or senses, She dyed on ye 12th day of September in ye year of Our Lord 1737 and of her own Age 44.

It's also interesting to see a couple of pieces of medieval armour fixed high on the wall so not good for a photo

And on the way out I remembered to turn round for a photo of the Lych gate in very good condition.

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Sue