St. Mary the Less, Thetford

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 20 Aug 2010

The church stands derelict, and the graveyard neglected, or that’s how it was when I took this photograph. A sad sight, but a sign of the times. At one time according to Cautley Thetford had 13 churches, now only three remain and this has now gone and St Peter’s is redundant, leaving only St Cuthbert’s. He also writes nothing about the churches, as they had all been extensively rebuilt or restored and nothing of interest remained. However this church is basically 14th c. with a broad truncated tower. It was taken into use by the RCC in 1980 and virtually everything stripped out. All that is left now it has been deserted is a canopied niche over the porch, the piscina and wall monuments. The most significant being that of Sir Richard Fulmerstone (1567) and his wife Alice. Saint Mary the Less was Mother of St. James the Less and Joseph, wife of Cleophas. She was one of the three Marys who served Jesus and was present at the crucifixion, and accompanied Mary Magdalen to the tomb of Christ. Tradition reports that she went to Spain as a missionary. Mary reportedly died at Ciudad Rodrigo. Another tradition states that she went to France with St. Lazarus and his sisters but like all these things no one really knows.

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