A LITTLE GUIDE TO
ST MARY'S CHURCH, HIGHAM
The Domesday Book mentions the existence of a church in Higham. It may well be that parts of the structure of the nave remain from this Saxon or early Norman church. The chunks of ironstone and areas of layered masonry in the south nave wall, together with the quoins in the north-east corner of the nave, certainly indicate work of this period. In the late 1100s the church passed into the care of the Priory of the Holy Trinity at Ipswich. The embattled tower was added as evidenced by the two-light west window which has fine tracery of the mid-1300s. The wooden door to the belfry is of great age. Beside the door is a framed list of the bells including the following information .
# - Inscribed: Sancta Fides ora pro nobis
All the bells were recast in 1914. The clock was given the same year by the Furniss family.
The octagonal font stands at the west end of the nave. Its stem is panelled with cinquefoil-headed arches and its bowl has quatrefoil (four-lobed) panels. In the top of the bowl the stonework has been renewed on the north-west and south-east sides. This is where the staples once fitted to lock a lid or cover to the font to prevent the baptismal water being stolen for ‘magical purposes’. Nearby, in the blocked north doorway, is part of a large 15th century holy water stoup, with shields in its panels. This was originally affixed to the external wall near the entrance, for people to dip their fingers into the holy water and make the sign of the cross as an act of symbolic cleansing and a reminder of their baptism upon entering the church.
The oak benches of 1887 fit in so well because they were carefully copied from the fragments of their medieval predecessors. Four 15th century carved poppyheads have in fact been re-used in the ends of two benches on the north side. The straight-ended north aisle benches are also of 1887, as are the beautifully carved chancel stalls with their traceried fronts and poppyhead ends.
The chancel arch is masterpiece of 19th century timberwork. The arch itself is delicately carved with flowers and foliage and beneath fine canopies on each side are the figures of St Peter (north) and St Paul (south).
In the south wall of the nave, near the pulpit (given, with the benches, by Miss Bowcher in 1887) is a cinquefoil headed piscina recess, showing that there was an altar nearby in medieval times.
| Note of bell | Date | Weight | ||
| cwt | qrs | lbs | ||
| F | 1842 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| E Flat | 1675 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| D Flat | 1787 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| C | 1663 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| B Flat # | 6 | 3 | 22 | |
| A Flat | 1675 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
All the bells were recast in 1914. The clock was given the same year by the Furniss family.
The octagonal font stands at the west end of the nave. Its stem is panelled with cinquefoil-headed arches and its bowl has quatrefoil (four-lobed) panels. In the top of the bowl the stonework has been renewed on the north-west and south-east sides. This is where the staples once fitted to lock a lid or cover to the font to prevent the baptismal water being stolen for ‘magical purposes’. Nearby, in the blocked north doorway, is part of a large 15th century holy water stoup, with shields in its panels. This was originally affixed to the external wall near the entrance, for people to dip their fingers into the holy water and make the sign of the cross as an act of symbolic cleansing and a reminder of their baptism upon entering the church.
The oak benches of 1887 fit in so well because they were carefully copied from the fragments of their medieval predecessors. Four 15th century carved poppyheads have in fact been re-used in the ends of two benches on the north side. The straight-ended north aisle benches are also of 1887, as are the beautifully carved chancel stalls with their traceried fronts and poppyhead ends.
The chancel arch is masterpiece of 19th century timberwork. The arch itself is delicately carved with flowers and foliage and beneath fine canopies on each side are the figures of St Peter (north) and St Paul (south).
In the south wall of the nave, near the pulpit (given, with the benches, by Miss Bowcher in 1887) is a cinquefoil headed piscina recess, showing that there was an altar nearby in medieval times.
The high altar piscina remains, beneath a 15th century arch with little flowers in its moulding, in the south sanctuary wall. The communion rails date from the 1887 restoration by E.F. Bisshopp, as does the sanctuary floor with its richly coloured encaustic tiles (by Messrs Johnson, Carter & Co of Worcester) with oak-leaves, acorns and other foliage. In the south-west windowsill have been placed ten medieval tiles once in the floors of the church. Some are very worn, but some bear traces of their glazed designs, including leaf-trails and the arms of the Beauchamp and Ufford families. The reredos, with its dramatically-coloured tiles and mosaic work, was installed in 1892, in memory of Rev Abraham Charles Reeve who was vicar here from 1835-89.
A brass inscription on the north wall records this. On the south wall, above the piscina, is a memorial to Alice Dokenfielde, who died in 1622 at the age of fifteen.
The chancel contains the oldest memorial in the church. This was not fully exposed until repairs to the floor on the north side were carried during Spring 2005. A large Purbeck marble slab contains indents for a monumental brass for a man in armour, his wife, foot inscription, one son, one daughter, two prayer scrolls and four shields. This memorial is a product of the London D workshop and probably commemorates John Mannock, of Gifford’s Hall, who died in 1476. It is also probable that the Latin inscription and scrolls contained wording considered to be ‘Popish’ causing the plates to be removed from their stone following the visit by the notorious iconoclast, William Dowsing, who operated throughout East Anglia during the English Civil War. According to his Journal the church at Higham was visited on 2 February 1644 when 'We bake down 15 superstitious pictures in the chancel; and 16 in the church, (so called); and gave orders to levell the steps in 14 days'.
The north aisle was added about c.1410 which is the date given to the north arcade (the latter carved with vines and floral decorations). The work has been attributed to Hawes, a mason from Occold, who worked on the chancel arches at Otley, Debenham and Bildeston.
The organ is a two manual and pedal instrument by Messrs Norman, Son and Beard, with seven speaking stops. It is a good instrument brought here in 1892 following the closure of Cavendish College at Cambridge.
The attractive timber-framed north porch was designed by Bisshopp in 1887 and added a few years later.
A brass inscription on the north wall records this. On the south wall, above the piscina, is a memorial to Alice Dokenfielde, who died in 1622 at the age of fifteen.
The chancel contains the oldest memorial in the church. This was not fully exposed until repairs to the floor on the north side were carried during Spring 2005. A large Purbeck marble slab contains indents for a monumental brass for a man in armour, his wife, foot inscription, one son, one daughter, two prayer scrolls and four shields. This memorial is a product of the London D workshop and probably commemorates John Mannock, of Gifford’s Hall, who died in 1476. It is also probable that the Latin inscription and scrolls contained wording considered to be ‘Popish’ causing the plates to be removed from their stone following the visit by the notorious iconoclast, William Dowsing, who operated throughout East Anglia during the English Civil War. According to his Journal the church at Higham was visited on 2 February 1644 when 'We bake down 15 superstitious pictures in the chancel; and 16 in the church, (so called); and gave orders to levell the steps in 14 days'.
The north aisle was added about c.1410 which is the date given to the north arcade (the latter carved with vines and floral decorations). The work has been attributed to Hawes, a mason from Occold, who worked on the chancel arches at Otley, Debenham and Bildeston.
The organ is a two manual and pedal instrument by Messrs Norman, Son and Beard, with seven speaking stops. It is a good instrument brought here in 1892 following the closure of Cavendish College at Cambridge.
The attractive timber-framed north porch was designed by Bisshopp in 1887 and added a few years later.
