The historic 12th Century building of St. Mary's Church, Hinderclay, stands in an acre of land which includes the parish burial ground. When you pass through the gates of St. Mary's you cannot help but feel at peace as you walk along the path between the oak trees.
In 1733 Mr. William Randell planted an avenue of oak and ash trees from the gate to the church. By 1908 several had disappeared and Prince Frederick Duleep Singh (right) re-planted the missing trees in memory of his sojourn in Hinderclay. The Prince was a member of the church choir, archaeologist, antiquarian and generous benefactor. The Rev. Farrar officiated and the ceremony was also attended by the Princesses Catherine and Sophie Duleep Singh. Unfortunately the original alternate order of oak / ash could not be maintained as at some time during the previous 175 years someone had substituted an oak for an ash! The tree nearest the Churchyard was planted by the Prince himself. According the Bury Free Press (11 January, 1908) the holes for the trees were dug by Charles and Frank Calton.
Today only 3 oaks and 1 ash remain on the north side of the path and 1 oak and 4 ash on the south side.
The tower is pretty and perpendicular, with little chequerboard patterns set into the bell windows. The letters SSRM in the battlements probably stand for Salve Sancta Regina Maria, which the Catholics amongst us will instantly recognise as the opening words of the 'Hail Holy Queen' This suggests that the medieval dedication of this church was to The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. This was the most common medieval Suffolk church dedication, and has been restored correctly in several places, Ufford for instance. The tower appears off-centre, because the south aisle hides the unclerestoried nave.
Stepping into this building is a delightful surprise. As it opens beyond the south aisle, the interior, with its uncarved font, pammented floors and simple furnishings is almost entirely rustic, except that it is flooded with coloured light. This comes from the glass in the south aisle. The windows, mainly from the 1980s, are by Rosemary Rutherford. She was the sister of the John Rutherford, rector here from 1975, and after she died in 1972 he adapted her designs to be installed in this church. These are therefore her last works, and they are perfectly poised in their simplicity and abstraction. There is a Baptism of Christ, a nativity scene and the Annunciation, while a Crucifixion is flanked by Mary at the empty tomb and the Resurrection. Perhaps the best depicts Mary Magdalene, tiny at the bottom, anointing Christ's feet. The last window to be installed, at the west end, came in 1994 thanks to the participation of Rowland and Surinder Warboys, two well-known Suffolk stained glass artists.
These windows are the best of Rutherford's work, I think. You can see more of it in a number of churches in north Essex, as well as at Boxford and Walsham in Suffolk, and at Gaywood in Norfolk.
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