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Although Easton is
only two miles away, with its busy
village centre and the Farm Park full of
visitors, Letheringham is a place apart.
St Mary can seem more remote than almost
any other Suffolk church, especially on a
drowsy summer's day, with only the bees
in the churchyard to break the silence.
There isn't really a village here. The
church stands in a farmyard, and at first
appears to have no access. But if you go
down the narrow lane beyond the farm, a
track leads along the edge of the fields,
then turns back towards the farm. Access
is through a wicket gate, and this is
where things start to get interesting. The
church is pressed right against the north
edge of its churchyard, and there are
several curious ancient structures
nearby. The reason is simple. This is the
site of an Augustinian Priory, and there
are substantial remains of at least one
of the outbuildings. The present church
is just a part of the former priory
church. The eastern end fell into decay,
and was demolished in the 18th century.
The churchyard wall is aligned with the
north wall of the church because it is
part of the former chancel wall.
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The
east window was rescued from the former chancel,
and no other ruins remain. So St Mary seems
unified, and unlike other shortened churches - Orford, say, or Great Walsingham in
Norfolk. The church was derelict by 1730, and the
interior was comprehensively sacked. Monuments
and furnishings were ripped out. Collectors tore
up brass memorials and broke the sculptures off
of tombs. The church was, however, restored to
use before the 19th century Anglican revival,
which is why it doesn't appear particularly
Victorian.
This
century, it has fallen under the care of a very
determined group of people who have ensured its
continual use, and, quite wonderfully, tracked
down bits of the missing monuments and memorials.
They have been returned to the church on
permanent loan.
 
 
A
marble memorial reminds us that Favour is
Deceitful, and Beauty is Vain, but a Woman that
Feareth the Lord, she shall be Praised. The
north doorway which led into the Priory cloisters
is now filled in, and everything is of necessity
modern, but still, there is a quiet loveliness
here, and the happy lion on the royal arms seems
well-pleased with it all.
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Hoo, the true situation of the building
on the edge of the farmyard can be seen.
behind, a walled area surrounds the
grounds of Letheringham Hall, which was
demolished in the 20th Century. A boiling
of elder trees at the top of the hill
shows its former location. This
is not Suffolk's most beautiful church,
or its most interesting. But I think it
is lovely, and valuable, and it has one
of the best settings in the county. It
doesn't take much imagination to see how
the dissolved priory could have become a
farm, and the priory church, like many
others, allowed to become ruined. But it
was saved, and that is an accident of
history. That so much love has been
lavished on it since, is a sign of hope.
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