Piscina, Halesworth
Halesworth is an excellent launchpad for exploring some of Suffolk's best churches by bike from the local station with some of the most celebrated being situated a few miles to the east. It is something I intend to repeat in the near future, following the rich rewards of this trip.
St Mary's church in Halesworth is a pleasantly welcoming place, I found both north and south porches left wide open to encourage visitors to step within. What struck me most was the width of the building, with double aisles either side of the nave, a highly unusual arrangement making five in all and an almost square interior, making for some interesting lateral views punctuated by arcades and columns.
There has been significant Victorian restoration here and most of the furnishings are of this period, though the medieval font remains at the west end and is a good example of a classic 15th century East Anglian font (still a novelty to me, being less familiar with the region) carved with angels and evangelist symbols above and lions and wodehouses below. The oldest features however are the fragments of Saxon sculpture set in the chancel.
St Mary's can't compete with some of the medieval gems nearby but is worth a visit nonetheless and clearly a much used and much loved building.
Piscina, Halesworth
Halesworth is an excellent launchpad for exploring some of Suffolk's best churches by bike from the local station with some of the most celebrated being situated a few miles to the east. It is something I intend to repeat in the near future, following the rich rewards of this trip.
St Mary's church in Halesworth is a pleasantly welcoming place, I found both north and south porches left wide open to encourage visitors to step within. What struck me most was the width of the building, with double aisles either side of the nave, a highly unusual arrangement making five in all and an almost square interior, making for some interesting lateral views punctuated by arcades and columns.
There has been significant Victorian restoration here and most of the furnishings are of this period, though the medieval font remains at the west end and is a good example of a classic 15th century East Anglian font (still a novelty to me, being less familiar with the region) carved with angels and evangelist symbols above and lions and wodehouses below. The oldest features however are the fragments of Saxon sculpture set in the chancel.
St Mary's can't compete with some of the medieval gems nearby but is worth a visit nonetheless and clearly a much used and much loved building.