All Saints church at Eyke is a bit distinct in each and every feeling, you could very easily pass by means of the village and miss out on it as you can find no tower to announce its presence on the streetscape, just a relatively humble-hunting nave and chancel in the midst of the pleasurable open area of the churchyard. Its overall look is fairly nondescript although quirky, viewing it from the east reveals the chancel to be considerably off centre, thus a person wonders if there is a south aisle hidden within, but as it turns out, there isn’t.
Entering the church reveals a lot more of its idiosyncrasies, the nave is a person open place without the need of aisles and but the east wall subdivides with a curiously lop-sided effect into two arches, the Norman chancel arch to the left and a smaller sized pointed arch foremost to a compact chapel to the appropriate. What is actually far more there is a further more Norman arch to the east leading into the chancel consequently forming a crossing, so plainly this was intended to be a central tower stopped abruptly at roof level leaving no obvious trace externally) and we can only assume it was minimized at some phase or possibly hardly ever completed. It appears thus that a cruciform church was the unique strategy and the present south chapel may well have originally been a transept, and the afterwards opening into the nave shaped when that portion of the church was extended to its present width, presumably in the 14th century. All these irregularities do make this church a significantly intriguing architectural puzzle.
The chancel is made up of some eye-catching woodwork with carved bench finishes aplenty, but only a few of pieces are truly medieval, the rest all the playful creation of early 20th century woodcarvers under the assistance of the vicar. Various animals arise alongside the poppyheads and are most effective explained as rustic but entertaining. There are a few intriguing items of previous glass here together with memorial brasses and a handsome normally East Anglian 15th century font at the west end of the nave adorned with the emblems of the evangelists.
I should confess I would not accomplished all my homework on this trip and permit the marked church towers on my OS map guide my prepared route, and usually observing people marked with a smaller cross I’d dismissed as much more the latest properties of much less curiosity so hadn’t meant to stop, consequently I was only intending to move by way of Eyke en route to my upcoming prevent when I found a medieval church on my left that undoubtedly warranted a stop for even further investigation! A total shock, but a enjoyable one particular!
Fortunately Eyke church appears to be to be retained open and welcoming (in non-Covid troubled periods) and the locals I fulfilled here were friendly. For extra on the church see its entry on the Suffolk Church buildings website beneath:-
www.suffolkchurches.co.british isles/eyke.htm
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2021-03-04 20:10:10
Tagged: , Eyke , church , Suffolk , stained glass , window , heraldic
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