This cache is for one of four Anglican churches in Newmarket – St Agnes. It is another Victorian Gothic church built in brick with stone features in the 1880’s – the work of the Duchess of Montrose. It has a stone campanile tower which is highly decorated. It is quite different in scale and design to most West Suffolk 19th century churches, which were generally intended to serve outlying poorer communities, whereas this church is very decorative on the inside!
This church is generally recognised as having the richest, most opulent 19th century interior in Suffolk, even taking into account the splendour of Felixstowe St John. The architect was R.H. Carpenter, whose budget from the Duchess was large. It is also unspoilt and contains all its original furnishings, as well as the mosaics and tiling on the walls. There is also a reredos in the form of a white marble bas-relief of St Agnes and her lamb being borne up to heaven by angels from the Colosseum, where she was martyred.
The Duchess was called Agnes, possibly suggesting why this church is dedicated to St Agnes.
As parents, we can remember going to Harvest festivals and Carol services in St Agnes when our daughter's Newmarket school held their festivals there and the vicar of St Mary's came to conduct the services.
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