Church Of St Peter And St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a mainly 15th-century church built of random stone and flint with stone dressings. It incorporates elements of an earlier Norman church dating to circa 1140. The 15th-century square tower is constructed of random stone, flint, and brick, and has a castellated parapet, a staircase turret, and angle buttresses. Knapped flint chequer work appears at the base, and there is some flat ornamental detailing to the east side. A south-west buttress features inscriptions above a canopied niche, commemorating the wife of John de None fielder, the Manor’s Lord, and the tower’s builder in 1300. The nave was built by the Barnardiston family in 1420, with a 16th-century roof featuring a false hammerbeam construction above a collar, originally reconstructed by Lady Elizabeth Barnardiston. The south porch, dated in the apex of the gable, and the north and south aisles are also 15th-century. The south door has a wicket gate inset. The chancel, with a lead roof, dates to the 14th century. The church’s interior, notably unrestored, retains numerous original features, including original woodwork and a collection of roughly-made, square-topped benches, some with linen fold panelling. A fine, canopied pew was constructed for the Barnardiston family in 1610, incorporating part of the original chantry screen from circa 1430. A three-decker octagonal pulpit with a sounding board, back, and two tiers of arcading also dates to circa 1610. The chancel screen is dated 1619, and family box pews are from 1730. A musicians’ gallery and stepped benches for children's catechism at the ends of the aisles are both dated circa 1750. The altar rail and sanctuary panelling was erected by Sir Samuel Barnardiston in 1710. Beneath the nave and aisles are four vaults containing 54 lead coffins. The church holds a rich collection of mural and other monuments, including tombs of the Barnardiston family, notable among which are those of Sir Thomas and Elizabeth Barnardiston (died 1503 and 1526), with recumbent figures; three other Sir Thomas Barnardistons, one (died 1542) now a mural within an Easter sepulchre, another (died 1619) with recumbent figures, and a third (died 1610) featuring an elaborate canopy with kneeling figures. Nathaniel Barnardiston (died 1653) and his wife are commemorated by a mural with half-length figures. A mural to Sir Philip Skippon (died 1619) is located in the north aisle. The church clock, with a single hand, located on the east side of the tower, was made in Braintree in 1729.