Wrentham, Suffolk
Encyclopedia
Wrentham is a village in the north-east of the English
county of Suffolk
. Wrentham is located about 2 miles (3 km) from the coast along the A12 trunk road. It is approximately 7 miles (10 km) south-west of Lowestoft
, 4 miles (6¾ km) north of Southwold
and 6⅓ miles (10½ km) south-east of Beccles
.
The village has several shops, two pubs (the Horse & Groom and the Five Bells Inn), a village hall and a thriving community life. The parish church is located to the west of the village near the old animal pound which is situated near the church, used in the 18th and 19th centuries to contain stray animals rounded up in the parish
The parish church of Wrentham is dedicated to Saint Nicholas
. The church is around half a mile to the west of the main village. The church is positioned in a churchyard high above crossroads. Wrentham church is tucked away in a churchyard full of trees and shrubs which is a haven for wildlife. The tower, porch and south aisle are 15th century but the north aisle is Victorian. The chancel is the oldest part of the church probably built around 13th century and is supported by red-brick flying buttresses. Both the nave and chancel are very wide. The south aisle contains wooden posts on the south wall to support the roof beams. In the north aisle there is a medieval stained glass window depicting St Nicholas, reputed to be one of the oldest pictures in England. The church had a major re-roofing and restoration during 1990-2000.
. The bells are rung from the ground floor in an anti-clockwise direction. The bells were cast by a range of founders spanning three centuries. The treble (the smallest) and the third were cast by Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury, Suffolk
in 1723 and 1714 respectively. The second is the oldest bell in the tower, dating from 1606 and cast by John Clarke. The fourth and fifth were cast in 1906 by Mears & Stainbank and the tenor (the largest) was cast by Llewellins & James of Bristol
in 1905. The bells were described as ‘not in tune’ at the end of the 19th century and this may suggest why two bells were recast and another added at the beginning of the 20th century. The precise weight of the bells is not known but the tenor is estimated to weigh between 10 and 11 hundredweight
. The frame is positioned high in the tower. Although the bells are not rung regularly, ringing does take place for special occasions such as weddings. The tower is affiliated to the Suffolk Guild of Ringers.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of 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...
. Wrentham is located about 2 miles (3 km) from the coast along the A12 trunk road. It is approximately 7 miles (10 km) south-west of Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
, 4 miles (6¾ km) north of Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
and 6⅓ miles (10½ km) south-east of Beccles
Beccles
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 Blythburgh and A12 road, northeast of London as the crow flies, southeast of Norwich, and north northeast of the county town of...
.
The village has several shops, two pubs (the Horse & Groom and the Five Bells Inn), a village hall and a thriving community life. The parish church is located to the west of the village near the old animal pound which is situated near the church, used in the 18th and 19th centuries to contain stray animals rounded up in the parish
The Church of St Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
. The church is around half a mile to the west of the main village. The church is positioned in a churchyard high above crossroads. Wrentham church is tucked away in a churchyard full of trees and shrubs which is a haven for wildlife. The tower, porch and south aisle are 15th century but the north aisle is Victorian. The chancel is the oldest part of the church probably built around 13th century and is supported by red-brick flying buttresses. Both the nave and chancel are very wide. The south aisle contains wooden posts on the south wall to support the roof beams. In the north aisle there is a medieval stained glass window depicting St Nicholas, reputed to be one of the oldest pictures in England. The church had a major re-roofing and restoration during 1990-2000.
The Church Bells of St Nicholas
The tower contains a ring of six bells hung for change ringingChange ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. The bells are rung from the ground floor in an anti-clockwise direction. The bells were cast by a range of founders spanning three centuries. The treble (the smallest) and the third were cast by Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury, Suffolk
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 1723 and 1714 respectively. The second is the oldest bell in the tower, dating from 1606 and cast by John Clarke. The fourth and fifth were cast in 1906 by Mears & Stainbank and the tenor (the largest) was cast by Llewellins & James of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1905. The bells were described as ‘not in tune’ at the end of the 19th century and this may suggest why two bells were recast and another added at the beginning of the 20th century. The precise weight of the bells is not known but the tenor is estimated to weigh between 10 and 11 hundredweight
Hundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
. The frame is positioned high in the tower. Although the bells are not rung regularly, ringing does take place for special occasions such as weddings. The tower is affiliated to the Suffolk Guild of Ringers.