It's called Inferior due to being down in the village - lower than Rickinghall Superior on higher ground a mile or so away.
One of Suffolk's round tower churches and quite an unusual shape with a south aisle the same width as the nave.
It was a gloomy Saturday morning - the time I knew the church would be open- when I visited so the photos aren't so good except with a flash inside.
The porch is interesting with these open windows
and seating inside
The view down the nave
The reredos behind the altar is medieval and Simon Knott in the Suffolk Churches site says it might have come from the rood loft as they are too short to be from the rood screen
Here's the LINK to the Suffolk Churches Index for more details.
While I was googling to find out why there was a US flag in the church I came across THIS "Village in the Wheatfields " about Rickinghall in 1949 from the East Anglian Film Archive. The narrators accent is definitely NOT a Suffolk one! and the people filmed were not always who they were supposed to be.
This is the site in case the link doesn't work https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=1829
Well I've come across Uppers and Lowers in place names but never Superior and Inferior!
ReplyDeleteThe round bell tower gives an almost fairy tale castle quality to the little church.
Interesting church, and lovely film (in spite of the dodgy accents!) which show life changing from the centuries old rural traditions to modern mechanised farming.
ReplyDeleteThe stained glass windows are beautiful - what wonderful treasures for the church to have :)
ReplyDeleteSuper church. I love the porch and the round tower is splendid. The top of the octagonal section looks like a crown. J’nan
ReplyDeleteHere in France there used to be a district called Loire Inférieure... It was renamed Loire Atlantique many years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe memorial seems to read Richard Compton French, and 1875 in the lower part.
Thank you for this post (and all the others) !
Maguy
Nothing inferior about that church especially with the round tower which could well be Saxon. The porch looks like it has a room over it as well, a beautiful church well worth looking around.
ReplyDeleteThe Church Explorer
Thanks, a nice visit to a place most of us will never see in person.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard "inferior" used to designate a lower ground location. The tower is a lovely architectural feature, and the stained glass is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful stained glass in this lovely old church.
ReplyDeleteI admired the quilts both small and large in your last post. Too bad you didn't win one.