Despite living in Suffolk for 70 years there are many parts of the County that I don't know so well and I'd no idea there was once a priory in this village.
What is left is now the church of St Mary and St Lawrence in the village of Great Bricett. Looking very different to other Suffolk Churches.
The notice board has some information
The Priory of St Leonard was established around 1110 - 1114.It was a daughter house to the Church of St Leonard at Noblat in Limoges, France. The clergy were Canons who came here from France (that's why they were know as Alien).
There were guidebooks in the church so I bought one for a better look at the history, which is complicated but the Wiki page is HERE
Inside there are many signs of the age of the building. The font dates from the Norman period.
The house on the left is attached to the church and is more of the remains of the priory
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So many parish churches seemed to be swathed in plastic because of the resident bats.
ReplyDeleteBats in the belfry and Birds in the nave and rabbits in the graveyards - wildlife loves churches!
DeleteA worthy setting for one of the complicated 'Shardlake' mysteries by CJ Samson... it's a curious building, thank you for writing about it.
ReplyDeleteVery few Suffolk churches don't have a tower of some sort.
DeleteThat certainly has some history attached to it, but a shame all the ancillary buildings have gone through the ages of use.
ReplyDeleteLove that font - really quite ornate for Norman times. I loved that doorway - went off to check out the beautiful surround on Google. So special. (I ended up at Ely Cathedral - Tam and I once got there - at 5 to 6 and they shut at 6 . . . When she had her place offered at Cambridge and we wanted to check it out.
I could have written about all the things in the guide book but that would have been a Very Long post
DeleteChurches are the last sanctuary for bats it seems. Humans only come visiting on Sunday. Very different shape of the church, you can almost see the French lines in it.
ReplyDeleteBat's in the belfry is certainly true for many churches
DeleteWe were in an unfamiliar church recently and swallows were nesting right above the organists head. When we spoke to him he said he didn't mind, he was happy to see them and they covered everything up with plastic sheeting when he wasn't playing. Sadly we were at a funeral and seeing the swallows swooping about overhead was very fitting, our late friend would have loved that.
ReplyDeletePenny
Now Swallows inside a church - that is something very different!
DeleteRather the plastic to protect things from bat droppings than see the bats evicted!
ReplyDeleteA local, tiny chapel sitting on the coast path has to leave their door open 24/7 in the spring and summer with a sign saying "Do not close, swallows nesting inside chapel"
I often go into churches that have a big sign saying' Please make sure the door is shut to keep out birds'!
DeleteIt's rather encouraging that we can carry on learning about places that are familiar to us.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those villages that I'd had no reason to go to except for the church!
DeleteAnother interesting post and bats do seem to like churches. Catriona
ReplyDeleteMany I go into have plastic covering things - I guess it's a nice quiet place for them
DeleteThe font is very ornate.
ReplyDeleteVery informative, TQ
Alison in Devon x
All sorts of interest in this church
DeleteThe French influence is lovely and also a bit ornate. The stained glass seems not the typical church glass design and the font is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea bats were living inside churches.
Bats can get into the smallest of cracks to find somewhere dark for daytime
DeleteAnother lovely church post about a very different and old building, thanks. Nice header pic of your plant stand.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I gave the plant stand a coat of paint earlier so it's fit to be seen!
DeleteOh wow, those windows are gorgeous. Bats do like to take up residence in old buildings. There’s a pioneer house, by me that had to fumigate to rid the old house of bats. Until they did that, it was closed to the public. They did a lot of damage. I actually like bats but in their own habitat.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I'm so glad they were able to salvage some of the windows after the war. I wonder how bats are getting into the building? Seems like they could make it bat-proof!
ReplyDeleteThat’s all so fascinating and I always stand in awe and wonder about the people who built such places!
ReplyDelete