Bruisyard

St Peter, Bruisyard

I grew up in agro-industrial Cambridgeshire, so pretty well anywhere in Suffolk seems lovely to me. But some places are so lovely that I can't understand why tourists don't flock to them in droves. Bruisyard is one such place.

Narrow lanes thread between gentle hills; there are hedgerows filled with angelica, streams that ford the lanes and then spill into the infant River Alde, a vineyard and roadside calvaries as though you were in France, and quite the prettiest village sign in the county. An old timbered hall sits below the church; I immediately added it to my National Lottery wishlist.

St Peter from the south west. The bell openings were renewed in the 1960s. (Photo by Alan Thurkettle).

One of the reasons few church explorers come here is that St Peter is not a historically or architecturally significant building. But it is certainly one of the most beautiful churches in the county, and if this is not good enough for you, then you are very sad, and you have my sympathy.

The tiny church sits on a little hill, and the door always seems to be open. The beautiful tower contrasts with the simple nave, and the whole piece has been thoroughly restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, unlike the overwhelmingly dull Victorianisation of neighbouring Cransford, this is a delight.

The south side is punctuated by a rather unusual chapel, and it is from after the Reformation. It inow forms a vestry. The little hill is slightly overgrown, giving an extra touch of the pastoral.

Looking west. The walls lean out slightly, and their stark whiteness lifts the eye above the heavy 19th century furniture. the far window is from early in the 19th century.

Right: The painting-by-numbers decalogue.

(Photos by Alan Thurkettle).

Inside, all is simple and white. The church is full of space and silence. A blackbird calls plaintively from the bush outside, as his ancestors may have done for a thousand years or more. They would have sung for the sisters of the Poor Clares, who had their first ever English community in this village, and that is why it is St Clare rather than St Peter on the village sign.

A curious decalogue set hangs on the wall. It was printed in the 18th century, and coloured in by hand. They must once have been common, but I've never seen another one in Suffolk.

Stepping outside, a tree-lined path runs down to the lychgate. A sweet wind comes from out of the vineyard below, where some of the best white wine is made in England; steely, stylish and self-confident. Cosmopolitan users of this site may find it on the shelves of Harrods, and Fortnum and Mason; but the rest of us might prefer to buy it from the shop in the village at a fraction of the price.

St Peter, Bruisyard, is located on an unclassified road to the north of the B1119 near Rendham, just to the west of Saxmundham. Follow the signs to the Bruisyard vineyard from the A12. I've always found it open.

Please note that the photographs on this entry are by Alan Thurkettle, and retain his copyright.