Return Visit

My first visit to St Michael's Church Framlingham was in September 2018 and coincided with preparations going on for a funeral. I couldn't stay long. 

Next time I was too early in the day and the next time I tried there was a service. Finally last week I was able to go inside and take photos of everything easily.

Framlingham church is a large church, it sits high in the town almost next door to Framlingham Castle. It is wealthy and well cared for and much visited by tourists who come to the town for the history and the castle.

It's all about the Howard family in the church and the story of the Howard family is the story of how things changed through the C16, from Catholic to Protestant to Catholic and back to Protestant again.

From Wikipedia
The Catholic faith of the Howard dynasty often resulted in conflict with the reigning monarch, particularly during and after the reign of Henry VIII. In 1546, Thomas Howard, the third Duke, fell out of favour with the dying Henry and was attainted on 27 January 1547; he was stripped of his titles and his lands reverted to the Crown. Imprisoned in the Tower of London, he narrowly escaped execution through Henry's death the following day, but remained imprisoned until the death of Edward VI and the accession of the Catholic Queen Mary to the English throne in 1553, upon which his lands and titles were restored to him. However, the Duke died the following year aged around 81, and was succeeded by his grandson Thomas as the fourth Duke of Norfolk. Following Mary's death and the accession of her sister Elizabeth I, the Duke was imprisoned for scheming to marry Elizabeth's cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. After his release under house arrest in 1570 and subsequent participation in the Ridolfi Plot to enthrone Mary and Catholicism in England, he was executed for treason and his lands and titles again became forfeit.

The church is wide, although the nave is actually shorter than the chancel, with two side aisles, a parclose screen on each side aisle.

This is a modern plaque and remembers the USAF 390th Heavy Bombardment Group that flew from nearby Parham airfield during WWII.

Many of the walls are painted

There was a display showing the links between the Danforth family in Framlingham UK and Framlingham USA

Many stained glass windows

What most people come to see are the tombs and effigies for so many of the Howard family.

The font and it's tall cover

The organ dates from the C17

I liked this painting - a trompe l'oeil, it seems fairly new here.

My post from 2018 is HERE and the link to the The Suffolk Churches Website is HERE.

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Sue