Alpheton

St Peter and St Paul, Alpheton

The setting could not be lovelier. You leave the village, pronounced Al-fee-t'n, with the stress on the middle syllable, up on the ugly Sudbury to Bury road, and follow the winding lane down and into the valley. It twists and turns, allowing tantalising glimpses of the church tower. After a little under a mile, you reach the valley bottom, and find the Hall farm and church together in splendid isolation.

A concrete track leads around the farm, and brings you into the graveyard from the south east. Around, the winter fields were frozen on this New Years Day 2001, a group of rooks huddling miserably in the ploughed furrows.

New Years Day 2001 - Alpheton sleeps soundly.

This is a trim little graveyard, considering its remoteness. The 15th century tower climbs beyond a pretty 15th century wooden porch. The 19th century revival carved the words COME UNTO ME above the door; but 20th century paranoia added the yale lock and security markings below, so it seems that the parish of Alpheton would rather you sought salvation somewhere else, thank you very much.

In the chancel. Alpheton Hall stands outside the window.

No sign of a keyholder, no sign of any life at all; but when I looked through the window, I saw the church decorated for Christmas, so I knew it still to be in use.

What else did I see? There are the bare remains of a medieval St Christopher painted opposite the entrance. They are now so faded, you would not know what they were all if they weren't outlined in the plaster.

Otherwise, it seemed a sweetly Victorianised interior, with brick floors and oil lamps. I think I would have liked to go in, it seemed so lovely. But it was not to be.

I walked around to the north side, noting rather grand headstops to the east window, and being startled by the surprise of just how close the church is to the Hall. It must cast a considerable shadow.

The Hall, as if trying to compensate, is painted the colour of bull's blood, and was most attractive. More headstops on this side included a mythical beast of some description.

I'd have liked to have gone inside - of course I would. Luckily, my colleague Alan is more tenacious than me, and you can see his photographs here.

Despite the remoteness of the church, Alpheton, like most of the villages along the A143, isn't a tiny hamlet. So, this place must still do a reasonable business in hatches, matches and dispatches. How long will that last, I wonder?

St Peter and St Paul sits in the valley beside the Hall farm.

St Peter and St Paul, Alpheton, is about a mile along a track to the west of the A143 Sudbury to Bury road. it is locked without a keyholder.

Don't forget to also visit Alan Thurkettle's photos of Alpheton.