Stowmarket St Peter and St Mary?s church

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 25 Aug 2008

There is no other spire in the county which is anything like this one, erected in 1994 with a viewing platform and cross keys emblem. Before the 15th century, it was a much smaller church, and what is now the north aisle, may well have been the nave. The present nave and south aisle were constructed with the wealth of the wool trade when the river was still navigable to Ipswich. Signs of anything earlier than Victorian were largely erased in the 19th century restorations although there is a 13th century coped sepulchral slab in the south aisle. The north aisle contains many monuments as well as a chapel to the Tyrell family. There is a 14th century canopy tomb, said to be that of an abbot. Some grotesques are carved into arm rests of the bench ends. Headstones from the graves have been moved to give the graveyard the appearance of a park but a few of the larger tombs remain in their original position.

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