Fragments, Parham
Medieval fragments reset in the east window.
St Mary's at Parham stands proudly in a quiet spot a short distance off the main road through the village. The first sight of it on approaching is impressive, the sturdy west tower looks a little serious with its flat-top parapet but is enlivened by a large empty niche on its west face, an unusual embellishment (presumably once home to a Crucifixion or Coronation of the Virgin group, we will never know for sure). There are some nice touchses of flint flushwork on the tower buttresses but most significantly on the north porch, obviously once the grand entracne but no longer used as such, the west door being the preferred entry nowadays.
One walks stright in through the tower to be greeted by the full lenght of the interior, a light and cheerful space with focus very much on the chancel beyond, there being no side aisles to the nave to divert the eye sideways. The whitened walls and lack of coloured glass (beyond a few medieval fragments in the east window) make the interior pleasingly bright (even as conditions were taking a turn for the overcast outside). A few touches of colour are on hand to provide some warmth amidst the whiteness, the medieval rood screen survives (all pierced openings without painted panels) and has been enthusiastically recoloured, whilst beyond the more recent reredos bears a Last Supper.
The fittings here aside from the screen (and one bench carving that I missed) are all of the 19th century restoration as is the nave roof with its character corbels. The font with traceried panels is 15th century and an intriguing group of carved shields amassed in the north east corner also appears to late medieval (relics of a lost tomb?) and a few nice 15th century angels can be seen in the tracery of the east window.
I really liked Parham church, a handsome building with a pleasing atmosphere within, found open and welcoming in normal times.
For more on this fine church see its entry on the Suffolk Churches site below:-
Fragments, Parham
Medieval fragments reset in the east window.
St Mary's at Parham stands proudly in a quiet spot a short distance off the main road through the village. The first sight of it on approaching is impressive, the sturdy west tower looks a little serious with its flat-top parapet but is enlivened by a large empty niche on its west face, an unusual embellishment (presumably once home to a Crucifixion or Coronation of the Virgin group, we will never know for sure). There are some nice touchses of flint flushwork on the tower buttresses but most significantly on the north porch, obviously once the grand entracne but no longer used as such, the west door being the preferred entry nowadays.
One walks stright in through the tower to be greeted by the full lenght of the interior, a light and cheerful space with focus very much on the chancel beyond, there being no side aisles to the nave to divert the eye sideways. The whitened walls and lack of coloured glass (beyond a few medieval fragments in the east window) make the interior pleasingly bright (even as conditions were taking a turn for the overcast outside). A few touches of colour are on hand to provide some warmth amidst the whiteness, the medieval rood screen survives (all pierced openings without painted panels) and has been enthusiastically recoloured, whilst beyond the more recent reredos bears a Last Supper.
The fittings here aside from the screen (and one bench carving that I missed) are all of the 19th century restoration as is the nave roof with its character corbels. The font with traceried panels is 15th century and an intriguing group of carved shields amassed in the north east corner also appears to late medieval (relics of a lost tomb?) and a few nice 15th century angels can be seen in the tracery of the east window.
I really liked Parham church, a handsome building with a pleasing atmosphere within, found open and welcoming in normal times.
For more on this fine church see its entry on the Suffolk Churches site below:-