All Saints Church, Little Wenham
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church, Little Wenham, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Little Wenham
, Suffolk
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. It stands in an isolated position close to Little Wenham Hall, about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) to the northwest of Capel St. Mary
.
, with the top stage of the tower in brick. The porch is timber-framed
, and the roofs are tiled. Its plan consists of a nave
and a chancel
, with a south porch and a west tower. The tower is in three stages, with angle buttress
es decorated with flushwork
. On the east of the south face is an angled stair turret
. In the lowest stage of the tower is a window with three lights. The middle stage contains a small louvred
trefoil
ed opening on the north, west and south sides. Under the opening on the west side is a niche
. The top stage is battlement
ed and contains small bell openings. The east wall of the church has angle buttresses, and a parapet
surmounted by a cross finial
. The east window has three lights. Towards the east end of the north wall of the church is a two-light window with Y-tracery
, and to its west is a lancet window
, a three-light window, and a doorway. In the south wall, from the east are a six-light window set higher than the others, a doorway into the chancel, and three windows with Y-tracery. On the middle buttress are three scratch dials and the gnomon
of a former sundial
. The porch is timber-framed on a brick base. Above the doorway, in the gable
, are three wooden niches.
tiles and brick. On the sanctuary floor are five memorial floor slabs inscribed with dates in the 17th and 18th centuries. On the east wall are paintings. To the left of the east window is a painting of the Virgin with Child
, and to the right of the window are three female saints under canopies
, namely Saints Martha
, Catherine
and Mary Magdalene
. In the north wall of the chancel is a structure decorated with shields which is either a tomb or an Easter sepulchre
. In the south wall is an elaborate memorial to Joannes Brewse, who died in 1585. The memorial is brightly painted and contains the kneeling effigy
of Joannes Brewse in a round-arched recess. To the sides of the recess are Corinthian
columns supporting a pediment
over which is a coat of arms
. There are further coats of arms to the sides of the recess and in panels under the recess. The monument partly obscures the arches of a former sedilia
. Above the priest's door in the south wall is a marble
monument dated 1682. In the floor of the chancel is a medieval brass
to the memory of Thomas Brewse, who died in 1514, and his wife. They are depicted standing side by side, and below them are their five children, two boys and three girls. This is said to be one of the best pre-Reformation
brasses in the county.
Between the chancel and nave is the plastered stone base of the former rood screen
. To each side of this, in the west wall, is a piscina
. In the north wall of the nave is the doorway leading to stairs to the former rood loft. By the north wall of the nave is a medieval coffin lid. To the east of the north door is a wall painting of Saint Christopher
and the Christ Child. To the west of the door is a board with the Lord's Prayer
. In the south wall of the nave is a tomb chest with a large and elaborate canopy which is said to commemorate Gilbert de Debenham who died in 1371. The wooden hexagonal pulpit
dates from the 17th or 18th century. Two of the pews are carved with linenfold
panels and pilaster
s. The font
dates from the 14th century and is carried on an octagonal stem. It still has traces of red paint. Above the tower arch is a round opening. In the tower is a wooden altar. The bell was cast by Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury
in 1714.
railings bearing the dates 1797 and 1799. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Little Wenham
Little Wenham
Little Wenham is a small village in Suffolk, England. It is part of the civil parish of Wenham Parva within Babergh district....
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It stands in an isolated position close to Little Wenham Hall, about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) to the northwest of Capel St. Mary
Capel St. Mary
Capel St. Mary – commonly known as Capel – is a village in Suffolk, England. It is about southwest of Ipswich and from Dedham Vale, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Early history:...
.
History
The church dates from the 13th century. The tower and the south porch were added in the 15th century, and in the following century the tower was raised by the addition of a bell chamber. A dedication to Saint Lawrence has also been associated with the church.Exterior
All Saints is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, with the top stage of the tower in brick. The porch is timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, and the roofs are tiled. Its plan consists of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, with a south porch and a west tower. The tower is in three stages, with angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es decorated with flushwork
Flushwork
-Description:In architecture, flushwork is the decorative combination on the same flat plane of flint and ashlar stone. It is characteristic of the external walls of medieval buildings, most of the survivors being churches, in parts of Southern England, but especially East Anglia...
. On the east of the south face is an angled stair turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
. In the lowest stage of the tower is a window with three lights. The middle stage contains a small louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
ed opening on the north, west and south sides. Under the opening on the west side is a niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
. The top stage is battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed and contains small bell openings. The east wall of the church has angle buttresses, and a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
surmounted by a cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. The east window has three lights. Towards the east end of the north wall of the church is a two-light window with Y-tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
, and to its west is a lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, a three-light window, and a doorway. In the south wall, from the east are a six-light window set higher than the others, a doorway into the chancel, and three windows with Y-tracery. On the middle buttress are three scratch dials and the gnomon
Gnomon
The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning "indicator", "one who discerns," or "that which reveals."It has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields....
of a former sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
. The porch is timber-framed on a brick base. Above the doorway, in the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
, are three wooden niches.
Interior
The chancel is floored with medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
tiles and brick. On the sanctuary floor are five memorial floor slabs inscribed with dates in the 17th and 18th centuries. On the east wall are paintings. To the left of the east window is a painting of the Virgin with Child
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
, and to the right of the window are three female saints under canopies
Canopy (building)
A canopy is an overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor....
, namely Saints Martha
Martha
Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...
, Catherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
and Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
. In the north wall of the chancel is a structure decorated with shields which is either a tomb or an Easter sepulchre
Easter Sepulchre
An Easter Sepulchre is a feature of English church architecture .-Description:The Easter Sepulchre is an arched recess generally in the north wall of the chancel, in which from Good Friday to Easter day were deposited the crucifix and sacred elements in commemoration of Christ's entombment and...
. In the south wall is an elaborate memorial to Joannes Brewse, who died in 1585. The memorial is brightly painted and contains the kneeling effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of Joannes Brewse in a round-arched recess. To the sides of the recess are Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns supporting a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
over which is a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. There are further coats of arms to the sides of the recess and in panels under the recess. The monument partly obscures the arches of a former sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
. Above the priest's door in the south wall is a marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
monument dated 1682. In the floor of the chancel is a medieval brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
to the memory of Thomas Brewse, who died in 1514, and his wife. They are depicted standing side by side, and below them are their five children, two boys and three girls. This is said to be one of the best pre-Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
brasses in the county.
Between the chancel and nave is the plastered stone base of the former rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
. To each side of this, in the west wall, is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. In the north wall of the nave is the doorway leading to stairs to the former rood loft. By the north wall of the nave is a medieval coffin lid. To the east of the north door is a wall painting of Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher
.Saint Christopher is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman Emperor Decius or alternatively under the Roman Emperor Maximinus II Dacian...
and the Christ Child. To the west of the door is a board with the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
. In the south wall of the nave is a tomb chest with a large and elaborate canopy which is said to commemorate Gilbert de Debenham who died in 1371. The wooden hexagonal pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
dates from the 17th or 18th century. Two of the pews are carved with linenfold
Linenfold
Linenfold is a simple style of relief carving used to decorate wood panelling with a design "imitating window tracery", "imitating folded linen" or "stiffly imitating folded material". Originally from Flanders, the style became widespread across Northern Europe in the 14th to 16th centuries...
panels and pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 14th century and is carried on an octagonal stem. It still has traces of red paint. Above the tower arch is a round opening. In the tower is a wooden altar. The bell was cast by Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
in 1714.
External features
In the churchyard is a table tomb with cast ironCast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
railings bearing the dates 1797 and 1799. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.