The splendid alabaster tomb of Sir William Bardolph (d.1441) and his spouse in the parclose chapel at the east close of the south aisle.
Very last but not the very least, the closing church of the day and a fantastic just one to end on, the last of my itinerary’s ‘big three’ which I only experienced to see on this excursion (all the additional so owning finished yet another excursion listed here only two times earlier but arriving considerably far too late to see inside of, a error I was keen to avoid repeating!).
St Mary’s at Dennington is a single of all those church buildings you browse about and see information of in publications lengthy just before preparing a take a look at so the churchcrawler frequently approaches in this article with a bigger degree of anticipation. It is a grand constructing with an extraordinary length and width for a village church, its west tower fairly plain but supplied a additional muscular physical appearance by its somewhat over-emphasised corner buttresses (with a stair turret on the north facet(. It seems to be a predominantly late 14th century composition but its stylistic unity and generous dimensions are not the most important purpose for its fame, that becsomes clearer once a person measures within by means of the handsome north porch.
Within the church feels fairly sprawling, and pretty very well lit owing to mostly simple-glazed home windows which also indicates there isn’t really a lot of color in listed here aside from the muted pale tones of the partitions higher than and the prosperous dark browns of the woodwork under, and it is this Aladdin’s cave of carved wood furnishings which presents Dennington these types of renown. The first attributes to capture the eye on moving into are the carved pews, several Suffolk churches have bench finishes like these with traceried panels on their fronts and fanciful animals serving as armrests and this is a especially abundant set. Unfortunately some of the animals have been broken, but a great deal can even now be loved. The most well-known character listed here on the other hand is carved in reduction on 1 of the benches on the south aspect of the nave, the figure of a legendary Sciapod sheltering beneath his monumental foot.
Towards the eastern close of the nave the carved pews give way to Submit-Reformation box-pews (a several of which integrate their medieval predecessors) and then two prosperous parclose screens that dominate the stop of equally facet aisles, a unusual survival in any type but here all the more sizeable for retaining their unique lofts with wealthy cresting at comprehensive top. Initially these would have been joined across the nave by the rood display, but only the least expensive degree of this now survives (and I practically missed it completely getting concealed inside the box pews). The parclose chapel on the south aspect consists of the wonderful mid 15th century alabaster tomb of Sir William Bardolph and his spouse, their effigies resplendent with significantly of their authentic colouring.
The chancel further than looks a little extra sober by comparison but is enriched by a few very good elements of its primary 14th century glazing in the traceries and heads of selected windows. Higher than the altar hangs the exceptional picket pyx, a spire-like tabernacle to keep the sacrament. Frustratingly I did not get a superior shot of this, a bit of a hazard in a church with so several superior options to enjoy.
Dennington church is 1 that requirements to be experienced, particularly for those with a fondness for medieval and afterwards woodwork. In regular instances it is typically stored open and welcoming to site visitors and genuinely warrants far more of them. For much more see its entry on the Suffolk Church buildings internet site below:-
www.suffolkchurches.co.united kingdom/Dennington.htm
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2021-03-27 08:31:22
Tagged: , Dennington , church , Suffolk , tomb , monument , effigy , sculpture , medieval
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