This church will be a
familiar sight to many travellers, as it sits
above the busy Copdock Mill interchange between
the A12 and A14. Despite this, its pretty
churchyard is a peaceful place, mainly because
the A12 lies in such a deep cutting. A little
bridge over it will take you to the remote church
of St Mary, Belstead, after about half a mile. In
the other direction is the even more remote
church of St Mary, Washbrook. So it seems that
urban planning can sometimes be sympathetic. St
Peter is a fairly large, neat building, a
testimony to the severe 15th century
Perpendicular which first created it, and its
almost complete refurbishment in late Victorian
times, one of the last in Suffolk of the century.
In fact, the most obvious parts of this
restoration, the nave roof and gallery, were
installed as late as 1901, to celebrate the
glorious Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria three
years earlier. Her death shortly before their
dedication must have put a bit of a dampener on
things.
I have to tell you
that St Peter is one of the very, very
few churches in the Ipswich area which is
kept locked without a keyholder. There
can be no reason for this - it sits in
its village, unlike many of its
neighbours which are accessible to
pilgrims and strangers. But there is no
room at the inn here, I am afraid. Ten
years ago, the churchwarden of the time
cheerfully showed me around the inside,
but that was in the days before digital
cameras, of course - or, at least, in the
days before I owned one. I remember it as
being almost entirely of its 19th century
restoration, apart from some 16th century
panels reset onto the gallery - they
probably came from a big house
originally. The most remarkable thing
about the interior is that the original
15th century roof of the north transept
survives. I recall thinking it odd to see
such work on a small scale.
But all I could do today was
to wander around and contemplate the
sheer misery of the broken Christ on the
Calvary to the east of the chancel.
Simon Knott, December 2008
Amazon commission helps cover the running
costs of this site
