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St Mary’s is a redundant Anglican church in the villageSmall rural collection of buildings with a church. of Akenham, Suffolk. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed buildingStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection.,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It stands in an isolated position in fields just outside Ipswich.[2]
The church dates from the medieval period, the earliest fabric dating probably from the late 13th century. The tower was built during the next century, and further additions and alteration followed in the 15th century. The south chapelChristian place of prayer and worship, smaller than a church. was added in the 16th century. The church was restored in the mid-19th century.[1]
During the Second World War, in 1940, the church was damaged by a mine dropped from a German bomber. The church remained derelict until it was restored by local people in the 1960s, assisted by the Friends of Friendless Churches. It was declared redundant in 1976, and vested in the Redundant Churches Fund, the forerunner of the Churches Conservation Trust.[3]
Architecture
St Mary’s is constructed mainly in flint with limestone dressings. The wall of the chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. is rendered. The chapel is in brick. The nave and chancel have tiled roofs, and the chapel is slated. The plan of the church consists of a naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety., a chancel, a southwest tower incorporating a porch, and a south chapel. In the north wall of the nave is a slit window in Norman style. The south wall of the chancel contains two lancet windows and a pointed doorway, all in late 13th-century style, and in the north wall is a 14th-century square-headed window. The tower has a north doorway leading into the porch, and over this is a lancet windowTall, narrow window typically associated with the Gothic architectural style.. The bell openings are louvred. The parapet is battlemented, and has lion-headed gargoyles. The south window in the chapel has three lights. Inside the church is an octagonal 15th-century limestone font, carved with tracery.[1] In the south chapel is a re-set medieval piscinaSmall basin in a Christian church used to clean the priest's hands and the sacred vessels used at Mass..[3]
Akenham burial case
The solitary gravestone to the north of the church of the unbaptised two-year-old Joseph Ramsey, who died in 1878, helped to alter the Burial Laws of England.[2] Civil Law decreed that every parishioner had the right to be buried in his parish churchyard, but Church Law insisted that only Anglican clergy could conduct the service, which they were forbidden to do at the burial of any person who had not been baptised.[4]
Joseph’s father’s employer, E. F. Gooding of Akenham Hall, arranged for a service to be conducted by a Congregational Church minister in the meadow outside the church before Joseph’s burial, but the service did not begin until 5:30 pm. The rector of St Mary’s, growing impatient, interrupted proceedings and demanded that the coffin be placed in the grave so that he could return home. A “rather unpleasant verbal altercation” ensued, resulting in the rector locking the churchyard gate and storming off. The coffin then had to be lifted over the hedge surrounding the churchyard for burial at the end of the service.[4]
The subsequent public reaction to Joseph’s case and other related incidents did much to hasten the passing of the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880, which permitted burials in any churchyard to take place using any appropriate form of service, or no religious service at all.[4]
Devil’s grave
Legend has it that the Devil is asleep below St Mary’s, under a broken tombstone known as the Devil’s grave. It is said that walking around the church anticlockwise thirteen times will summon the Devil from his torpor.[5]