IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Rumburgh, HALESWORTH, IP19 0NU

When approaching from the west and passing remains of a moat and seeing the dominating west tower, it is realised that this is not a normal church. Indeed the church was not built as a parish church but as the church of a small Benedictine Priory. Aethelmaer,Bishop of Elmham, and Thurstan, Abbot of St Benet at Holme, jointly founded the priory between 1047 and 1064. It was a cell of Holme Abbey in Norfolk. Brother Blakere was the first prior. In 1070 the Bishop fell out of favour. The property was transferred to Count Alan the Red of Brittany who was a follower of William the Conqueror. On Alan's death, his brother gave Rumburgh Priory to the Abbey of St Mary in York. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded that 12 monks lived at the Priory. It was suppressed in 1528 and Cardinal Wolsey was granted the Priory's property and incomes. See http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rumburgh.htm for more detailed information about the church as well as photographs and also https://www.achurchnearyou.com/rumburgh-south-elham-all-saints-st-michael-st/ This view of a part of the former moat is seen as the church is approached from the road.

Looking west from the footbridge on the south side of the churchyard.

When approaching from the west and passing remains of a moat and seeing the dominating west tower, it is realised that this is not a normal church. Indeed the church was not built as a parish church but as the church of a small Benedictine Priory. Aethelmaer,Bishop of Elmham, and Thurstan, Abbot of St Benet at Holme, jointly founded the priory between 1047 and 1064. It was a cell of Holme Abbey in Norfolk. Brother Blakere was the first prior. In 1070 the Bishop fell out of favour. The property was transferred to Count Alan the Red of Brittany who was a follower of William the Conqueror. On Alan's death, his brother gave Rumburgh Priory to the Abbey of St Mary in York. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded that 12 monks lived at the Priory. It was suppressed in 1528 and Cardinal Wolsey was granted the Priory's property and incomes. The plan of the church is Saxon with the broad west tower instead of a Saxon porch (according to Pevsner), and a nave and chancel of the same width. There are no aisles and no chapels. The west tower does dominate - it is wider than it is deep. It dates in its present form from the mid-13th century. See http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rumburgh.htm for more detailed information and photographs and also https://www.achurchnearyou.com/rumburgh-south-elham-all-saints-st-michael-st/ For an impression of how the priory looked at the time of its dissolution and how it related to the present church tower see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5518785

A moated church, all that remains of the Priory of St Michael and St Felix [founded 1047-64, suppressed 1528].

When approaching from the west and passing remains of a moat and seeing the dominating west tower, it is realised that this is not a normal church. Indeed the church was not built as a parish church but as the church of a small Benedictine Priory. Aethelmaer,Bishop of Elmham, and Thurstan, Abbot of St Benet at Holme, jointly founded the priory between 1047 and 1064. It was a cell of Holme Abbey in Norfolk. Brother Blakere was the first prior. In 1070 the Bishop fell out of favour. The property was transferred to Count Alan the Red of Brittany who was a follower of William the Conqueror. On Alan's death, his brother gave Rumburgh Priory to the Abbey of St Mary in York. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded that 12 monks lived at the Priory. It was suppressed in 1528 and Cardinal Wolsey was granted the Priory's property and incomes. See http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rumburgh.htm for more detailed information and photographs and also https://www.achurchnearyou.com/rumburgh-south-elham-all-saints-st-michael-st/ This impression of the priory at the time of its suppression is at the entrance to the churchyard.

The memorial bears 11 names for WW1 and 2 for WW2.

When approaching from the west and passing remains of a moat and seeing the dominating west tower, it is realised that this is not a normal church. Indeed the church was not built as a parish church but as the church of a small Benedictine Priory. Aethelmaer,Bishop of Elmham, and Thurstan, Abbot of St Benet at Holme, jointly founded the priory between 1047 and 1064. It was a cell of Holme Abbey in Norfolk. Brother Blakere was the first prior. In 1070 the Bishop fell out of favour. The property was transferred to Count Alan the Red of Brittany who was a follower of William the Conqueror. On Alan's death, his brother gave Rumburgh Priory to the Abbey of St Mary in York. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded that 12 monks lived at the Priory. It was suppressed in 1528 and Cardinal Wolsey was granted the Priory's property and incomes. The plan of the church is Saxon with the broad west tower instead of a Saxon porch (according to Pevsner), and a nave and chancel of the same width. There are no aisles and no chapels. The west tower does dominate - it is wider than it is deep. It dates in its present form from the mid-13th century. See http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rumburgh.htm for more detailed information and photographs and also https://www.achurchnearyou.com/rumburgh-south-elham-all-saints-st-michael-st/ For an impression of how the priory looked at the time of its dissolution and how it related to the present church tower see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5518785

When approaching from the west and passing remains of a moat and seeing the dominating west tower, it is realised that this is not a normal church. Indeed the church was not built as a parish church but as the church of a small Benedictine Priory. Aethelmaer,Bishop of Elmham, and Thurstan, Abbot of St Benet at Holme, jointly founded the priory between 1047 and 1064. It was a cell of Holme Abbey in Norfolk. Brother Blakere was the first prior. In 1070 the Bishop fell out of favour. The property was transferred to Count Alan the Red of Brittany who was a follower of William the Conqueror. On Alan's death, his brother gave Rumburgh Priory to the Abbey of St Mary in York. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded that 12 monks lived at the Priory. It was suppressed in 1528 and Cardinal Wolsey was granted the Priory's property and incomes. The plan of the church is Saxon with the broad west tower instead of a Saxon porch (according to Pevsner), and a nave and chancel of the same width. There are no aisles and no chapels. The west tower does dominate - it is wider than it is deep. It dates in its present form from the mid-13th century. See http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rumburgh.htm for more detailed information and photographs and also https://www.achurchnearyou.com/rumburgh-south-elham-all-saints-st-michael-st/ For an impression of how the priory looked at the time of its dissolution and how it related to the present church tower see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5518785