Kirton St Mary and St Martin?s church

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 25 Apr 2007

As you approach the church, you will notice how brown the tower appears. This is because septarium was largely used in its construction. It seems to blend in nicely with the colour of the roofs and is unusual in Suffolk. The church was mentioned in Domesday but no sign of the Saxon building remains today. Today’s church is mainly 15th century with the tower being added half a century later. Internally the roof of the nave has the appearance of an inverted hull of a ship. The 14th century piscina is flanked by a dropped sill sedilia. The font is a strange one; it is of 13th century square design with a supporting column at each corner, but lacks the usual decorations apart from flowers around the base of the bowl. The 18th century rector’s daughter was the writer Clara Reeve. She is buried in St. Stephen’s churchyard in Ipswich; now the Tourist Information Centre.

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