| St Mary's Church, Cavendish | |
|---|---|
 St Mary the Virgin's Church | |
 St Mary's Church, Cavendish | |
| 52°5′14.69″N0°37′59.26″E / 52.0874139°N 0.6331278°E /52.0874139; 0.6331278 | |
| OS grid reference | TL 80513 46549 |
| Location | Cavendish, Suffolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
| Archdeaconry | Suffolk |
| Deanery | Clare |
| Parish | Cavendish |
| Clergy | |
| Minister | The Revd Mark Woodrow[1] |
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Cavendish is aGrade I listedparish church in theChurch of England inCavendish, Suffolk.[2]
ASaxon church at Cavendish is mentioned in theDomesday Book. The church is mostly 14th-century, with building dating from about 1300 to about 1485, with some 19th-century additions and alterations.[1]
The oldest parts of the church, dating from about 1300, are the Tower, the Porch and the lower parts of the walls of the aisles. In 1350 the South aisle walls were rebuilt to their present height and new windows were inserted.[1]
Simon Jenkins awarded the church 1 star in hisEngland's Thousand Best Churches.[3]
The exterior of the church is dressed withflint. Above the parapet is a stair turret. The 14th-century tower is surmounted by a lantern. The building of the chancel was made possible by a bequest from SirJohn Cavendish in the 1380s. During thePeasants' Revolt Sir John's son, also named John, was responsible for the death ofWat Tyler. As a result, Sir John was lynched by his parishioners. He reached the church where he pleadedsanctuary by grasping the handle of the church door, but was taken to the market place atBury St. Edmunds and beheaded by a mob led byJack Straw on 15 June 1381. He was buried in Bury St. Edmunds. His bequest to St Mary's was made by way of recompense. The nave was probably the work ofReginald Ely, designer ofKing's College Chapel in Cambridge.[4]
The church contains a 16th-century Flemishreredos, in the North aisle, showing the crucifixion. It is set in a frame by SirNinian Comper.[4]
Until the late 1530s, a chantry altar probably stood in the church, perhaps for a guild. There is asquint that would have allowed the chantry priest a view of the high altar. The canopied niche to the right of the chest contains a modern image of the Madonna and child. The altar was replaced by a tomb chest for Sir George Colt, who died in 1570.[4]
There is a large roundel memorial in the South aisle toSue Ryder andLeonard Cheshire, best known for their war relief work in the years after 1945. At the east end of the south aisle is the tomb chest for Sir George Colt, who died in 1570. In the early years of the 21st century. The resulting interior is "a fit-for-purpose Anglican worship space which is clean, bright and comfortable".[4]
The church has a two manual pipe organ dating from 1884 by Henry Jones and Sons. A specification of the organ can be found on theNational Pipe Organ Register.[5]
| Bell | Date | Note | Diameter | Founder | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| long measure | lb | kg | |||||
| Treble | 1779 | D# | 28.38 in (72.1 cm) | William Mears | 4 long cwt 2 qr 6 lb | 510 | 231 |
| 2nd | 1930 | C# | 29.38 in (74.6 cm) | John Taylor & Co | 5 long cwt 0 qr 4 lb | 564 | 256 |
| 3rd | 1779 | B | 32.88 in (83.5 cm) | William Mears | 6 long cwt 1 qr 14 lb | 714 | 324 |
| 4th | 1930 | A# | 33.88 in (86.1 cm) | John Taylor & Co | 7 long cwt 3 qr 0 lb | 868 | 394 |
| 5th | 1930 | G# | 36.25 in (92.1 cm) | John Taylor & Co | 8 long cwt 3 qr 24 lb | 1,004 | 455 |
| Tenor | 1869 | F# | 40.50 in (102.9 cm) | John Warner & Sons | 11 long cwt 0 qr 21 lb | 1,253 | 568 |
The Parish of Cavendish is part of the Stour Valley Team Ministry, along with the Parishes of:
