Another addition to the UK wide series of Church Micro Caches. This cache is not hidden on church grounds. The container is a camouflage bag containing a 5ml vial with logbook only. Bring your own pen.
The church grounds and footpath are wheelchair accessible, but a wheelchair user would need assistance to retrieve the cache, or be able to walk 2-3 metres from the path and stand to search
The unusual Saint Lambert dedication here is a mistake. In fact, there are three Stonhams, and this one once used the name of the Lambert family, owners of the Manor, to distinguish itself from the others.
The tower with its wooden belfry is remarkable because it dates back to the 18th century, although what you see now is a rebuilding of the early 1990s. It gives the bells a quite different sound to that of them being rung in a tower of brick, stone or flint.
The interior is a Victorian restoration, but fortunately this church has very little coloured glass, and although the west window is small, the clerestory does its work for it, and the building is full of light. The light allows inspection of a characterful set of bench ends. A wolf guards St Edmund's head, a pious lady kneels at a prayer desk, a rather incongruous Chinese dragon shows off his beard.
The oldest thing here is the curious 13th century font, its arcading seeming most un-East Anglian. Another curiosity is the vast bound chest in the vestry, it is so big, indeed, that the vestry must have been built around it.
The above the text contains excerpts from Simon Knott's excellent website with grateful thanks.
If you would like to add to the Church Micro series yourself then please look here
http://churchmicro.co.uk/
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page that can be found at
http://www.15ddv.me.uk/geo/cm/index.html