Category: News

The Grants Committee Meeting of the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust allocated a total of £20,750 to renovation and improvement schemes to churches in Suffolk.

The largest grant awarded, £10,000, went to St Stephen’s church in Higham, between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket.

The village of Higham was part of the parish of Gazeley until 1861 when it became a separate benefice. A new round-towered church in the Neo-gothic style was built, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church has a conical cap. The original clay tiles on the tower were replaced by cedar shingles which are now failing. The plan is to replace them with clay tiles. While the scaffolding is up it is intended to repair tower stone and flintwork and carry out some gutter repairs.

The total cost of the repair work is cost £84,959.

“The Trust is delighted to be able to support the youngest of the Suffolk round towers churches with the repair and retiling of its tower”, said John Devaux, Chairman of the Grants committee.

Grants also went to St Peter in Nowton, Our Lady Roman Catholic church, Stowmarket, St Mary’s in Brent Eleigh and St Peter’s church in Cransford.

The next Grants meeting is on 11 th July and details of how to apply https://shct.org.uk/grants/

The money given in grants is mainly raised by the Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride and Pedal and Drive Day. In 2022 this will be held on Saturday 10th September. https://shct.org.uk/ride-and-stride/ and https://shct.org.uk/pedal-drive-car-rally/

In 2021 over £200,000 was raised by sponsored participants. Half of their sponsor money goes to the church of their choice, and half to the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.

Saturday 21^st May 2020  Bury St. Edmunds    £10 person

Morning: Tour of: Abbey Ruins with Dr. Richard Hoggett FSA MCIfA

Afternoon: St. Mary’s Church with Clive Paine

The site of the Abbey of St Edmund has been a significant place on the regional, national and international stage since the 10th century and its story is intimately bound up with those of the royal martyr Edmund and the wider town of Bury St Edmunds. The year 2020 witnessed the millennial anniversary of the formal foundation of the abbey in AD 1020 and, following delays caused by Covid-19, this milestone is being celebrated during a series of events being held in and around Bury during the coming months. During this visit we will walk the ruins of the abbey with heritage consultant Dr Richard Hoggett, who has studied the abbey extensively, and explore why the site deserves its position as one of Suffolk’s most important historic sites.

We are invited to St. Mary’s Church to have our packed lunches.  Tea and coffee will be available and there are WC facilities.  After lunch Clive Paine would like to welcome us to his home church with an  introduction to its history and the significance of  its place adjacent to the Abbey precincts There will be time for us to  explore the building and Clive will be on hand to answer any questions.

We will meet at the Abbey Gate ready to start promptly at 10.30 and suggest the Ram Meadow Car Park.

For booking details email: shct@btconnect.com

To become a Friend of SHCT costs £15 (individual) £25 (joint). Email: shct@btconnect.com.

It is with sadness that we record the death of Jill Ganzoni at the age of 91 years. But it is with deep gratitude we remember Jill’s lifelong commitment to the County in which she was born, lived and died. Without the  vision, influence and generosity back in 1973 of a small group in which Jill played a pivotal role, Suffolk Historic Trust would probably not have come into existence and certainly would not have been able to offer the support it does to the churches and chapels of Suffolk. 

A full appreciation of Jill’s life and work will be published in our Autumn Newsletter.

Jill’s funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Woodbridge on Thursday 12th May at 11.00am

The Flyer series of magazines are delivered free to homes in Ipswich, Kesgrave and Martlesham Woodbridge, Stowmarket and Felixstowe. They have kindly offered us a monthly column about the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, that also includes a featured church, chapel or meeting house that can be anywhere in Suffolk. 

If you would like yours included, please send 200-250 words about the church and any interesting features and two or three photos (inside and out) that you have the copyright to. 

Please send them to mail@rachelsloane.co.uk. 

They would also like us to include the times the church is open to visitors, disabled access, the postcode and details of where to park. 

In April it will be the Ipswich Unitarian Meeting House that is featured. Below is the March 2022 church, as an example….

March 2022 – Flyer magazines

Our featured church this week is St Mary’s church at Kersey, near Hadleigh, Chosen by one of our Trustees, Mary Luxmore-Styles:

“St Mary’s Kersey is a beautiful 12-14th Century church, standing on a hill on the edge of the quaint Tudor village of Kersey, with a water-splash at the bottom, as a tributary to the river Brett runs through. You can see St Mary’s lit up when you drive along the A1071 at night. It has been used by many people in the past (and present!) as a landmark to tell that you are nearly home! Significantly, it was used as a turning mark by RAF bombers in WW2 on their way back home after a raid.

St Mary’s is well worth a visit. The views from there are stunning. It is peaceful inside and out. It used to have a shrine there, which was destroyed during the 16th or 17th Century, but in March 2020 became the first church in Suffolk to have a shrine re-hallowed, when a beautiful modern shrine was installed to take the place of the one of old. You can write a prayer on a pebble and place it in the large elegant elliptical bowl.”

You can read more about Kersey church on Simons Knotts website: http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/kersey.htm

There is parking and disabled access to the church which is open 9-5pm and for services. It is on Cherry Hill. Kersey IP7 6EG.

An update! We have raised £205,000 from Ride and Stride and Pedal & Drive. An amazing total for one day… although we know lots of work from our wonderful volunteers takes place before the day.

The Chairman of Ride and Stride, Patrick Grieve has retired from the voluntary post after many years hard work, although he still remains a Trustee. What a way to go! Thank you Patrick for all you have done… and welcome to Simon Ronan who is taking over.

SUFFOLK CHURCHES FUNDRAISER BEATS PREVIOUS TOTAL with very nearly £200,000 raised. 

Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride annual fundraising event for Suffolk’s church buildings, held on Saturday 11^th September, has topped the previous year’s total once again. 

Suffolk Historic Churches Trust are pleased to announce that, with the counting nearly complete, just short of £200,000 has been raised by the hundreds of cyclists, walkers, vintage & classic car enthusiasts and church volunteers who took part in the annual  ‘Suffolk Churches Day’ events on September 11^th 2021. 

Ride & Stride participants nominate a church or chapel to receive half their sponsor money, and the other half goes to the Trust. The Trust’s share will be given as grants to help communities restore or improve churches and chapels of all denominations.

Over 500 churches across Suffolk take part in the fundraising day which is organised by a vast team of volunteers and is supported by many non-church-goers. 

“Riders and walkers for the Trust surprised us again with another bumper event, raising even more than last year,” said Patrick Grieve, Chairman, Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride.. “Many thanks to all our loyal and energetic participants, dedicated supporters and generous sponsors. Suffolk raises more for the event than any other county in the kingdom.”

Participants in Ride and Stride chose their own route around Suffolk’s churches, visiting as many or as few as they wished. For the third year, Ride and Stride was joined by Pedal & Drive, its sister event. Over 100 vintage and classic cars, set off from various points in Suffolk to enjoy a given route around five churches, whilst competing in a quiz and photo competition. The Trust is pleased to announce that the drivers raised over £15,000 towards the total. 

“The churches and chapels of Suffolk will be so grateful for the efforts of all those who biked, walked or drove their vintage or classic car to raise money that will go towards their upkeep. Raising £200,000 in one day is a huge achievement!” said Geoffrey Probert, Trust Chairman. 

In 2022 Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride, and Pedal & Drive, will be held on Saturday 10^th September.

On Monday 11th October, the Trust Chairman, Geoffrey Probert welcomed all present to Haughley Park Barns for the first Annual Meeting since 2019 (last year’s having been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic):  

The 2020 Ride and Stride and Pedal and Drive was a great success, with £192,000 raised in one day.  We think we have granted about £7 million to the churches and chapels of Suffolk since the inception of the Trust.  

A fortnightly e-letter – ‘The Churches and Chapels Chat’ – was established during the pandemic, with contributions from SHCT Trustees and other supporters.  This has been well received and will be continued.  

The GS2222 proposals from the Church of England, aimed at simplifying existing legislation so as “to manage the disposal of churches no longer needed for public worship” are proving contentious.  SHCT is facilitating responses to the proposals by requesting its network of area and local Ride and Stride organisers to raise awareness of the issues involved with a view to inviting comments and representations.

Yalda Davis has completed her project to raise money for SHCT, The Churches Conservation Trust and The Suffolk Wildlife Trust by playing her cello in all of Suffolk’s 511 medieval churches and chapels.  She started in April 2017 and ended at St Bartholomew’s, Orford in September 2021.  This has been a remarkable achievement, bringing wonderful music to Suffolk’s beautiful churches while helping to raise money for their preservation.

Various changes are pending within the ranks of SHCT Trustees.  Martin Favell has indicated his intention to step down at the end of the current financial year in April 2022.  Martin’s lengthy contribution to the Trust, as Treasurer for twelve years then Chairman for seven years, has been immense.  Patrick Grieve is also standing down, handing over the Chairmanship of the Ride and Stride to Simon Ronan.  Again, Patrick’s contribution to the success of the Trust, particularly as Chairman of the Trust’s leading fundraising event (which he took over in 2008), is hard to overstate.  Simon Tennent will be retiring as a Trustee in the near future.  Simon was for many years Secretary of the Grants Committee, and his experience and good sense have been greatly valued.  Thankfully, Simon will continue to serve on the Grants Committee.  Finally, Mike Kiely, who has fewer years to his name as our Hon Secretary, is moving on but what he lacks in years he has more than compensated for in his efficiency, hard work and helpfulness.

We are grateful to Bishop Mike Harrison for joining us this evening as our speaker and for the support he and Bishop Martin gave us this year in publicising the Ride and Stride.

At its October meeting in 2021, the SHCT Grants Committee awarded ten grants totalling £36,200

All Saints, Great Glemham

The Baptist Chapel, Stradbroke

St Mary, Barking

St Mary at the Elms, Ipswich

St Mary, Rickinghall Inferior

St Margaret, Thrandeston

St Andrew, Mutfod

St Mary, Stoke by Nayland

All Saints, Kesgrave

All Saints, Hundon

Congratulations to the successful churches. The next Grants committee is in January 2022. For more information on how to apply for a grant from Suffolk Historic Churches Trust: https://shct.org.uk/grants/

For the second year, the photo competition for those taking part in Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride has resulted in some excellent photos of our wonderful churches and those taking part on the day. 

Our independent judge really enjoyed looking at all the entries and wanted to pass on her congratulations. She said she has now discovered some churches she hasn’t yet visited… but will do soon. 

The winners are Tessa Wise, for her lovely set of six photos that ideally portrayed the required categories (Entrance door of a church or chapel, a memorial plate, plaque or gravestone, a non-conformist church, a church window, a free choice…and a selfie ). She receives a £75 book token as her prize.

“It was a great day out exploring Suffolk churches and meeting fellow participants and volunteers. We walked 14 miles, visited 9 churches and still had the energy to go to St Mary’s church, Ixworth for Hymns and Pimms at 6pm!” Tessa said.

The independent judge also chose the photo of a harvest church window at Langham, as her favourite from all the entries. Congratulations to Graham Hughes from Wetherden, who receives a £25 book token.

The prizes were provided by a supporter of Suffolk Historic Churches Trust who organise the fundraising day each year. Money raised is divided 50/50 with the participants chosen church and the Trust, which gives grants for the church restoration and improvement projects. 

The sister event, Pedal and Drive for veteran and classic cars also held a photo competition which was won by Catherine Hollywood, and was taken at  Catherine won a bottle of champagne. 

Next year’s events will be held on Saturday 10 September. Details on www.shct.org.uk

To see more of the photos look at Ride and Stride and Pedal and Drive pages of the website.

Hundreds of churches opened across Suffolk on Saturday 11th September to welcome a thousand or so walkers and cyclists for the annual Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride Day, when sponsored participants could choose their route around the county. 113 veteran and classic cars also took part in the sister event, Pedal & Drive, leaving from fivedifferent country houses, along six assigned routes, visiting six churches, before assembling at Lavenham.

“ I was extremely pleased that the day went so well and, by the end, the sun was shining too. People have been very generous with their time, organising this big fundraising day,  and with their donations for Suffolk Historic Churches Trust,” said Trust Chairman, Geoffrey Probert, as he watched the cars arrive. “I spent the morning going to churches that the cars weren’t visiting and I saw lots of cyclists and walkers, and the volunteers signing people in were pleased with the number of visitors they had already had.”

This was the 40th annual sponsored cycling event, an idea that began in Suffolk before spreading across the country.  Last year the day raised £190,000 that was divided between the Trust, to be given in grants to restore and improve church buildings, with the remaining half of the sponsorship money given to the church chosen by each cyclist or walker. 

Next year’s events will be held on Saturday 10th September. 

(Look at the Ride and Stride and the Pedal & Drive pages for this years photo galleries. The photo competition for Ride and Stride closes on Weds 15th September. Winners to be announced. )