As those of you who are kind
enough to read this blog know, one of my
passions is for researching country churches and churchyards.
A few years ago I visited the
charming church of St Bartholemew at Corton – a real delight. This has persuaded me to show again some of the churches I’ve visited over recent years (before I embark
on my list of churches for this year)
The
church of St Bartholemew, Corton.
When I drew up in the car park my
first impression was that it was in need of repair, then realised it was only
it's C15 tower which was in a ruinous condition.
Originally when built St Bartholemew’s
was a large church which was left to deteriorate, but much has been restored and
nowadays the working church is only about half of it’s original size.
I entered the church through a low
door into what used to be the nave and is now…due to the new roof and
restoration of this part of the building… used as a parish room. To the
West of this room is a glass screen which divides the church from
the ruinous tower, and to the East a stone wall separates this area from the
chancel…Pieces of a stone sculptured frieze lie against the wall – this
belonged in the original church.
Just through a doorway into the
chancel the first thing I saw was the fine late C14 Font.
... and in one of the window recesses sits a wonderfully carved C14 Gable Cross depicting virgin and child –
the last remaining one of it’s kind in Suffolk...Most of these crosses were destroyed
in the 1644 puritan church destruction.
Behind the Altar is a wonderful wide stone
carved reredos from the early C20 with parish war memorial plaques on either side
….and lying at the foot of the
Altar are two black stone slabs with the inscriptions of the persons buried
beneath them – evidently people of importance in the parish at that particular
time.
As I walked round the
churchyard I found many interesting tombstones. A few in particular caught my
eye…

...and another of two headstones
standing side by side on the
same grave, these were for a father d. 1834 and his son d.1847.. This struck
me as most unusual as I could find no mention of their wife/mother anywhere
in the churchyard
These other two I found very
poignant, the one with the cross broken off it’s top must belong to a
seaman, as I could still see the anchor and chain depicted on it, but I was
unable to decipher the lettering.
Most sad of all was this lump of what
looked like stone from the original church, placed on top of someone's grave –
no inscription... but evidently someone cared enough to put some kind of marker
to find where their loved one lay.
I was so pleased I'd found this delightful parish church on a day it was
unlocked.
I suspect with severe coastal erosion it won't be with us forever.
I suspect with severe coastal erosion it won't be with us forever.
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