St Mary from the west. A truncated tower over Suffolk's grandest Galilee porch.

This, of course, is because the 19th century railways stretched out their tentacles, and reached most places. A surprising number of these lines survive today, a great advantage to the church-visiting cyclist who wants to take advantage of Anglia Railways' flat fee of a pound for a bike.

Of course, the little branch spurs have mostly been lost, like that from Mellis to Eye, and the one from Wickham Market to Framlingham. The only main lines that Suffolk gave up were those from Sudbury to Cambridge and Thetford, part of a direct link between Colchester and the north of England. Norfolk's railways, on the other hand, were stripped away like bothersome varicose veins.

Debenham, then, is quite unusual, because it is the largest settlement in Suffolk that the Victorian railways never reached. There was a plan during the 20th century for trains to serve it, as we shall see.

But Victorian industry never troubled it much, except for a brick factory, and because of this it has a quite different character to other Suffolk places of its size.

It is softer, more pastoral, with elegant little shops lining its high street - many of them now selling antiques, I'm afraid. This isn't a place many people pass through, unless on the backroad from Ipswich to Eye. It is more a place that tourists know to be beautiful, and local villages look to for amenities - the Co-op, the bank, the school, the sports centre.

St Mary Magdalene is a large, surprisingly urban church. But why not? For in larger places, it is the town that has become more urbanised, not the church. Most towns were once like this.

It is set back on a rise above the old market place, although most people will approach it from the west, beside the little parish hall on the high street.

The first thing to admire is Suffolk's grandest galilee porch, with its former chapel above. Entrance through this is like a series of unfolding spaces, so that finally opening the double west doors into the nave comes as a surprise. But before that, look up at the recently restored tower. The porches and aisles clustering beneath it create the sense of a cruciform building, which it isn't.

It is certainly a very old tower, though, with evidence of Norman and even Saxon work on the lower reaches.

The upper decorated stage is 14th century, and looks rather unusual for Suffolk, the bell openings being so close to the battlements. This is because it had to be truncated after being struck by lightning in the 17th century. Its squatness is rather charming, I think.

The rugged rood beam, with the backlight to the rood itself above. The triple lancet is filled with Victorian glass (compare with Great Blakenham) - but notice the fine Perpendicular affair in the south aisle.

The vast early Norman west doorway (fire extinguisher for scale).

Grumpy old Cautley pottered about looking for medieval survivals, but this is an interior to enjoy as a whole; as with so many urban churches, the 19th century work contributes to a sense of continuity rather than disrupting it. I'm not a great one for memorials, but don't miss the extraordinary one to John Simson in the south aisle.

Further east in this aisle, the apparatus for a chantry altar is still in place, with a piscina, and the rood loft stairs opening off of it rather than in the nave or chancel. Above the chancel arch, the rood beam is still in place. Like so many survivors, its bulk must have made the 16th century reformers wary that the church might fall down without it.

The 15th century font with its grand 18th century cover.

I've had several requests recently to mention the bells of the churches I visit. This is a subject I know little about, but I do know that Debenham's ring of 8 bells is considered one of the most mellow in the county, and one that is very popular with visitting ringers. I know this, because Mortlock tells me so.

However, having heard them ring out, I also know them to be beautiful, and the space beneath them, which you must pass through, has several of those boards recording remarkable feats of bell-ringing, which never fail to impress me.

Just north of here, the remarkable Mid-Suffolk Light Railway ran on its way from Haughley Junction to Laxfield (it was planned to reach Halesworth, but this never materialised). This early 20th century enterprise was the setting for the novel Love on a Branch Line, and is still remembered fondly by older Suffolkers.

At the time of the First World War, a spur was built from Kenton Junction to a field just north of Debenham. It was an expensive and hare-brained extension, for permission to carry passengers along this stretch was never obtained, and nor was the last stretch into Debenham itself ever built.

So, Debenham fended off the iron giants to the very last, and they will never come now. Use of the spur for goods traffic was discontinued after a few short years, and the rails were removed. The cost of this spur contributed ultimately to the Middy's demise.

The former roodloft stairs entrance in the former south aisle chapel, now pressed into service as a cupboard (intended as an aumbry, perhaps?)

St Mary Magdalene, Debenham, is located near the centre of town. Debenham is on the B1077 Ipswich to Eye road, but is clearly signposted on the A140 Ipswich to Norwich road, from which it is about 3 miles. I found it open. See MAP