St Mary's church in Westley -view west

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 18 Sep 2010

There are two churches in the village of Westley. One is designated to St Thomas of Canterbury and now in ruins > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1861514. The other - St Mary > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2073892 - was built by architect William Ranger in 1835 on a new site that was chosen by the Marquess of Bristol, who gave the land so that the church would be visible from his estate at nearby Ickworth. St Mary's was the first church in England that was built by using precast concrete blocks and hence has a unique place in the history of church building. The church tower is situated at the south-west corner of the church and functions as a porch. By 1959 heavy pieces of the roughcast covering the spire fell onto the roof and the building had to be closed whilst the spire was removed and replaced with the pyramidal roof that now covers the tower. The church houses two marble slabs that came from the old church as do the lead-lined font bowl > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2073916 and a carved face > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2073910 originating from the old chancel screen can be seen on the west wall.

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