e-mail: simon@suffolkchurches.co.uk
St Peter, Theberton
This church has one of Suffolk's prettiest round towers, and loveliest thatched roofs. But inside, there is rather a grimmer tale. On the night of 17th June 1917, on the edge of this village, a German Zeppelin airship was brought down, with the agonising death of 16 of its crew.
Beautiful St Peter. Note the way the 19th century south aisle ajoins the porch, as at Stonham Parva and Sudbury St Gregory, creating the feel of a chapel inside. They were buried in the graveyard extension here, before being moved to a military cemetery 60 years later; but their memorial remains. And in the porch, we find part of the superstructure of the giant airship, incongruous in a glass case. The story below it makes fascinating if slightly harrowing reading.
|
| Externally, much
is Victorian, including the fine flushwork on the south aisle buttresses. Stepping into the church
itself, one is immediately struck by another Victorian
extravaganza, the painting of the south arcade. Someone I showed this to said that
it looks just like a tattoo, and she's right, it does.
Now, whether or not you like it is a matter of personal
taste, presumably. But in an earlier age, stonework was
often decorated in this way; I was reminded of survivals
of the same thing that I've seen at Kedington and Westhorpe, and so I liked it.
Theberton's fine tattooed south arcade. |
 |
This is a nice building to wander around in, and discover the wonderful Norman north doorway in the vestry (they don't mind you looking). The font is a good one, and an angel caught my eye with his shield bearing three chalices, which did well to survive the iconoclasts. But my favourite thing of all is outside the south porch. It is a table tomb against the wall, and commemorates John Fenn, the Laudian Rector here in the early 17th century, who was hounded out as a scandalous minister (that is to say, a theological liberal) by the Puritans. He was lucky to escape with his life; the Rector at Brandeston was found guilty of witchcraft, and hung. Fenn survived the Commonwealth, and died here after the Restoration of the Church of England. His inscription enjoins us to sit down and rest, something his Puritan persecutors would have profoundly disapproved of. |
Outside the south porch. The inscription reads: Here is a stone to sitt upon under which lies in hopes to rise to y day of blisse and happinesse honest John Fenn, the sonne of William Fenn, Clarke and late Rector of this parish. Being turned out of this living and sequestered for his loyalty to the late King Charles the First hee departed this life the 22 day of October anno domini 1673. Rarely is it so easy to strike back at religious fundamentalism, but here one can do so simply by sitting down! So I did. St Peter, Theberton, is located on the B1123 Yoxford to Aldeburgh road, just north of Leiston. Even on recent maps, the old spelling of Thebarton is sometimes given. Don't get confused! I found it open. You can also visit the entry for this church on Aidan Semmens' Sylly Suffolk site.
|
