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508:"Many enthusiasts prefer it to Long Melford, finding it less ostentatious, more serene. To the purist, its tower is more original, its nave more Perpendicular, and its chancel arch more majestic. Against this must be set the dire Victorian glass but for that at least there is an easy answer. ... Lavenham's interior is one of the most dramatic in Suffolk."
461:
families. The Spring arms, as well as the merchant's mark of Thomas Spring, appears over thirty times on the exterior of the building, while the star of the de Vere family surrounds the top of the tower. A screen in the south aisle was possibly intended as a chantry chapel for the clothier Thomas
414:
the town of
Lavenham grew rich as a result of the booming wool trade. The 14th-century church was added to and modified several times in order to convey the new wealth of its religious community. The eastern vestry, built in 1440, is the only other remaining part of the previous church building.
579:
Work started on the tower in 1486 and was completed in 1495. However, due to a large sum of money being left in the will of Thomas Spring, further work was undertaken in the early 16th century, resulting in the unusual size and grandeur of the tower today. It is built in four stages, of
427:, a major local landowner and commander of Henry's army, suggested that the church should be rebuilt in the latest style to celebrate the new Tudor king. However, it is likely that plans were already underway to rebuild the church in order to reflect the growing prosperity of Lavenham.
551:
screen protects the tomb of John Ponder (d. 1520). Funeral monuments range from the 15th to 17th centuries and include one small memorial brass to an infant, showing the child wrapped in blankets. The carved figures of St Peter and St Paul above the porch were sculpted by
442:. The extraordinary cost of the work was paid for by the local merchant families, who had become amongst the wealthiest in England. The same families continued to pay for the upkeep of the building, in some cases for centuries after its completion.
438:, which is very similar. The building is late perpendicular in its design, and regarded as one of the finest churches built in that style. It was also one of the last churches to be completed before the
47:
403:
times. The original church, which was probably wooden, was rebuilt in stone in the 14th century. The chancel is the oldest part of the current church, having been constructed in
596:
in 1625. The
Lavenham Deanery guidebook says the bell has been described as "the finest toned bell in England, probably in the world". The bell is rung whenever a member of the
1043:
1033:
462:
Spourne, although his remains do not lie here, whilst the parclose screen in the north aisle was to the chantry of the Spring family, later ennobled by
1053:
525:, and another, half-man with the hindquarters and tail of a beast, mimicking her by playing a pair of bellows with a crutch. Another shows a
470:. North of the chancel is the Branch Chapel dating from around 1500 and south of the chancel is the Spring Chapel dating from around 1525.
1038:
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The church clock, which has no external dial, was made by Thomas Watts in 1775; an hour strike and quarter chimes were installed to mark
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484:
466:. The remains of Thomas Spring lie in the church and there are several monuments erected to his descendants, such as
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1000:
604:
430:
The reconstruction of the church took place mainly between 1485 and 1525. The architect is thought to have been
563:
Edgar
Lingley and in 1865, as were the handles on the door. The carved figures of St Peter and St Paul above
410:
and decorated with money from wealthy citizens, including Thomas Spring II. In the decades following the
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A church has existed on the current site, in a prominent position to the west of the town, since
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824:
597:
588:. The tower ring comprises eight bells. The tenor weighs 21 cwt 7 lb, and was cast by
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416:
934:
922:"Lavenham, St Peter and St Paul's Church - History, Travel, and accommodation information"
8:
445:
The two principal donors for church were the 13th Earl of Oxford and the cloth merchant,
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950:
Fifty
English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England
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featuring imagery such as composite creatures; one, half-woman, half beast playing a
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21 long cwt 0 qr 7 lb (2,359 lb or 1,070 kg)
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front both the Branch and Spring chapels. The wonderfully carved
Spourne
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641:, was Rector of St Peter and St Paul from 1644 until his death in 1679.
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The
Christian in Complete Armour: Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare
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and an octagonal font also from the 14th century which is much worn.
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There are numerous other outstanding fittings, including a painted
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The church iron gates and door fittings were made by local
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with her chicks, and another depicts a man holding a pig.
625:, as specified in the will of Thomas Spring (d. 1523)
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Religious buildings and structures completed in 1525
1025:
492:Today, the church is one of the most visited in
449:. As such, the building is decorated with the
379:and regarded as one of the finest examples of
1034:Church of England church buildings in Suffolk
810:
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884:
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477:between 1861 and 1867. The diplomat, Sir
876:, Canada: Homecraft Publications Limited
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610:The tower is 138 feet (42 metres) high.
570:
483:
390:
763:William Bonner Leighton Hopkins MA 1907
473:The church was extensively restored by
357:St Peter and St Paul's Church, Lavenham
35:St Peter and St Paul's Church, Lavenham
24:St Peter and St Paul's Church, Lavenham
1054:English Gothic architecture in Suffolk
1026:
909:
879:
633:, known for his 1655–62 literary work
517:The church contains five 15th century
436:Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge
274:Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
844:
842:
840:
766:George Hugh Lenox Conyngham MA 1917
13:
1039:Grade I listed churches in Suffolk
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14:
1070:
1012:
837:
820:The Buildings of England: Suffolk
893:England's Thousand Best Churches
635:The Christian in Complete Armour
502:England's Thousand Best Churches
994:
605:Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
496:. It was awarded four stars by
488:The porch and its patron saints
971:
942:
928:
866:
854:
849:St Peter and St Paul, Lavenham
754:Joseph Morrison Croker MA 1855
512:
1:
798:
584:and stone with rare clasping
537:
404:
769:Martin Fountain Page MA 1933
323:Reverend Canon Simon Pitcher
7:
956:, New York, United States:
18:Church in Lavenham, England
10:
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937:The church's patron saints
874:Romance of a Wool Merchant
784:Derrick Malcolm Stiff 1994
652:Nicholas de Wytcherch 1302
386:
948:Flannery, Julian (2016).
733:Thomas Kinnersley MA 1710
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447:Thomas Spring of Lavenham
415:Following the victory of
383:architecture in England.
381:Late Perpendicular Gothic
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718:Ambrose Copinger DD 1622
706:Christopher Chapman 1558
661:William de Lavenham 1354
421:Battle of Bosworth Field
575:The tower from the west
556:and installed in 1965.
787:Nicholas Woodcock 2003
730:William Turner MA 1688
715:Henry Copinger DD 1578
700:Thomas Stackhouse 1508
639:Act of Uniformity 1662
626:
576:
510:
489:
396:
63:52.1063417°N 0.79139°E
872:Turner, P.J. (1936),
825:Yale University Press
736:Robert Wright MA 1729
712:William Reynolds 1571
655:Robert de Elmham 1312
621:
574:
506:
487:
394:
363:parish church in the
772:Henry Cotton MA 1952
760:Alex Tweedie MA 1907
757:Thomas Scott MA 1891
751:Richard Johnson 1825
748:William Okes MA 1825
739:John Squaire MA 1730
697:Thomas Appleton 1497
658:Robert de Stoke 1334
646:Godfrey de Merk 1260
629:The Puritan divine,
230:138 feet (42 m)
211:156 feet (48 m)
163:Heritage designation
984:, US: Moody Press,
778:Harry Crichton 1976
727:Roger Young MA 1679
709:William Day DD 1569
679:William Morton 1453
676:William Fallam 1444
664:John de Pelham 1361
440:English Reformation
222:70 feet (21 m)
68:52.1063417; 0.79139
59: /
781:Dennis Pearce 1986
745:James Buck MA 1792
703:William Basse 1529
627:
577:
504:. Jenkins writes:
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397:
375:. It is a notable
189:Late Perpendicular
990:978-0-8024-1177-8
966:978-0-500-34314-2
958:Thames and Hudson
905:978-0-14-029795-9
861:Lavenham, Suffolk
833:978-0-300-09648-4
742:John Davy MA 1763
691:Thomas Ashby 1477
500:in his 1999 book
479:Cecil Spring Rice
365:Church of England
354:
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334:Director of music
243:Tenor bell weight
148:Associated people
105:Church of England
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851:Suffolk Churches
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694:John Gigles 1486
688:Henry Boost 1475
685:John Walter 1462
682:George Vere 1459
673:John Saddle 1416
667:John Poland 1386
545:Parclose screens
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541: 1330–1340
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722:William Gurnall
670:John Pygot 1400
631:William Gurnall
623:Parclose screen
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567:Tower and bells
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598:royal family
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554:Eric Winters
536:dating from
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451:coat-of-arms
444:
432:John Wastell
429:
398:
356:
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350:David Deacon
281:Archdeaconry
178:John Wastell
174:Architect(s)
158:Architecture
100:Denomination
51:52°6′22.83″N
15:
978:Gurnall, W.
889:Jenkons, S.
815:Pevsner, N.
590:Miles Graye
534:rood screen
519:misericords
513:Furnishings
494:East Anglia
412:Black Death
408: 1340
401:Anglo-Saxon
377:wool church
118:.onesuffolk
66: /
1028:Categories
895:, London:
799:References
594:Colchester
586:buttresses
561:blacksmith
262:Canterbury
133:Dedication
464:Charles I
417:Henry VII
195:Completed
54:0°47′29″E
1059:Lavenham
980:(1999),
891:(1999),
817:(1974),
549:parclose
395:The nave
369:Lavenham
295:Lavenham
257:Province
138:St Peter
83:Lavenham
79:Location
724:MA 1644
527:pelican
459:de Vere
453:of the
419:at the
387:History
373:Suffolk
307:Preston
291:Deanery
285:Sudbury
269:Diocese
142:St Paul
127:History
111:Website
93:England
89:Country
988:
964:
903:
831:
614:Clergy
600:dies.
455:Spring
319:Rector
313:Clergy
301:Parish
227:Height
208:Length
359:is a
328:Laity
235:Bells
219:width
184:Style
986:ISBN
962:ISBN
901:ISBN
829:ISBN
523:viol
457:and
217:Nave
198:1525
140:and
120:.net
592:of
367:in
1030::
952:.
911:^
899:,
881:^
839:^
827:,
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807:^
607:.
538:c.
405:c.
371:,
968:.
924:.
238:8
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