Beside its splendid 18th century rectory rises the great
edifice of St Mary, Buxhall.
In a county of Perpendicular glory, St Mary is a Decorated
jewel, rebuilt in the early 14th century at the height of medieval
confidence. The tower is slightly earlier, and as grand as they
come at 95 feet in height. It contains six bells.
Brick battlements on the nave add a touch of the exotic, and the
east end of the chancel is turretted in a fancy way. On one of the
buttresses on the south side is a cross picked out in flint. This
seems to be intended as one of the consecration crosses from the
14th century rebuilding.
Inside, the nave is interesting, mainly because of the benches,
which are all hand carved in oak. They were the work of Agnes Hill,
daughter of Henry Hill. The benches were made with oak from the
Hills' Buxhall estate, and bear the Copinger Hill arms.
The Copinger Hills were a remarkable local family. They were
closely associated with the church over the course of six
centuries, as Lords of the Manor and as Rectors. They provided
Rectors throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and well into the
20th. Their name is found again and again, on memorials and
dedications, throughout this church. They provide a vivid
explanation of why the adjacent Rectory is just so grand. A plaque
records the death of the last of the male line in 1973.
The above images are from, and the text contains excerpts from
Simon Knott's excellent website www.suffolkchurches.co.uk , with
grateful thanks.
If anyone would like to expand this Church Micro numbered series
please do. Please contact sadexploration via www.geocaching.com so
that he can keep track of the church numbers and names to avoid
duplication.