St. Peter's & St. Paul's

Bardwell

The beginnings of nearly every old church are lost in a twilight. Most of the churches of Suffolk belong to a period -before the Norman Conquest. Of very few do we know the exact date of building or of consecration

We can suppose that a missionary priest such as those sent out.by St. Felix or St. Fursey or St. Cedd was the spiritual father of the many generations of Christians in Bardwell.

A candle was lit which, after centuries of flickering in the bitter winds of civil war and invasion and paganism, by God’s grace at last shone clearly and still shines.

When, by whom, and exactly where the village of Bardwell was begun we cannot tell. It existed at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, with a name derived from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) meaning: either “Bearda’s Well” or “Bank-well” with its lands already divided up among many land-holders (of whom the Abbot of Bury was the chief) in the complicated system of feudal tenure.

It also had a church very modestly endowed with 8 acres of land.

This church was not, of course, the church we see today. The church mentioned in Domesday was quite possibly of wood, or of lath and plaster with a thatched roof. The nearest building stone is 50 miles away to the west, in what had been another kingdom. Bardwell church is built on a slight but commanding eminence near a ford in the river, on a patch of thick yellow clay.

There are good reasons for supposing that there was at least a private chapel in the meadows near the Bailey bridge over the river. One of the three main manor houses of Bardwell stood there until 1769 and on the site of the present (1967) sewage works nearby, were found a mediaeval coffin-lid (now in the Museum of Ixworth Secondary Modem School) and a font (now lying on its side in the church near the organ). There are also extant large chunks of carved stone from the same area.

 The Date of the Present Church

Whatever the church or churches were in Bardwell in earlier times, the building we see today is ancient enough.

There seems to be no documentary evidence relating to its construction, but the style in which it is built tells its own tale.

The lofty yet narrow nave with its relatively thin walls and matching two-light windows speak unmistakably of the late 1300’s to early 1400’s. The roof indeed is dated 1421, one of the very few instances of this.

The tower and porch are of about the same date as the nave.

There was a bequest made by Reginald Payn of Bury St. Edmunds in 1409 of “6s. 8d. to the fabric of Bardwell parish church campanile.”

The chancel was almost completely rebuilt and its floor lowered in 1853.

 What shall we look for?

There are so many things to see that a careful walk round the church, beginning at the porch, and proceeding clockwise to the tower and then the nave and chancel, is strongly recommended.

The Porch (Exterior)

The porch. is on the south side of the church, one bay east of the tower. It is quite imposing, with panels of flushwork arcading (repaired) either side of the entrance, and a dado of flushwork chequer-board below, round the sides and repeated at the base of the tower. (Flushwork is patterning by means of shaped portions of cut flint (black) and freestone (creamy-white). There are three niches around the entrance,, and a band of carved fleurons above it, as well as the arms of de Bardwell and de Pakenham in quatrefoils, which may or may not be original.

 The Porch (Interior)

The roof of the porch was repaired in memory of Lieut. Andrew Robert Dunlap R.N. in 1852.

There are eight coats of arms against the wall plates.

The porch has two lofty side windows with fine tracery, and seats along both walls.

 The South Door

A massive ancient oak door now hung in two tarts to minimize draughts.    

 The Vestry

The clergy vestry occupies the whole of the ground floor of the tower except for the staircase, in the southeast corner, which leads to the ringing chamber above.

On the south side is the funeral hatchment of either Charles Croftes Reade or his son Thomas Croftes Reade, who was the 1ast of the owners of the manor house mentioned above. Their memorials are in the Sanctuary.

 On the north wall is a large wooden panel recording most of the many benefactions enjoyed by the parish from 1421. Remarkable among these is the gift of Mrs. Ellen Gulston, wife of Dr. Theodore Gulston, the founder of the Gulstonian Lecturers of the Royal College of Surgeons. She bought the advowson and impropriation of the tithes of the parish from King Charles I, and then arranged that thenceforward the parish priests should be chosen by the President and Fellows of St College, Oxford, and enjoy the full income of the tithes. (From 1360 to 1536 the major tithes had belonged to the Priory of Broomholm on north east coast of Norfolk. From 1536-1625, after the Dissolution of the Monastries, these tithes had belonged to the Crown). This generous gift ensured a succession of able and sufficiently endowed Rectors during lie difficult years of the 18th and 19th centuries.

There is a list of Rectors on the north wall and four engraved views of the church, the earliest dated being 1827 on the north and south walls and screen. There is also a coloured engraving of the portrait of Sir William de Berdewell (1367-1434) by William Fowler of Winterton, Lincs., dated 1805, “taken from the portrait in stained glass in the north window of the nave”. Possibly one like this was the original from which A.F. Bardwell of Springfield, Mass., had 50 copies made in 1895.

 The Bells

There are six large bells, rung from a chamber above the clergy vestry. The earliest existing is the treble, dated 1719, but there were “4 great bells” here in 1547, and “six bells with their frames in very good order” in 1706. They are:—

1. The Gardiner Sudbury fecit 1719

2. Pach and Chapman of London fecit 1770

3. William Eaton churchwarden. W. Dobson fecit 1820

4.  Thomas Spindluff and Charles Phillips. C.W. T. Newman fecit 1833

5.  Tho. Newman fecit. Roger Cooke, Robert Bugg, C.W. 173?

6.  John Brett, Churchwarden; Tho. Osborn Downham fecit 1780

The Tenor G (No. 6) is C 13 cwt.

No. 4 bell was recast in 1935.

 The Handhells

A set of twelve handbells of Victorian date are kept in the ringing chamber.

 The Organ

Built by Bishop & Son of Ipswich and London at a cost of £250 in 1909 and opened by Mr. 0. A. Clark, then Mayor of Bury St, Edmunds. It replaced a barrel organ, presented by Rev. Henry and Mrs. Adams somewhere about 1815 which stood until 1852 on the gallery which spanned the west end of the nave above the present organ. This barrel organ was altered about 1860, the barrels and crank being superseded by a keyboard and pedals. There is no record of there ever having been orchestral accompaniment to singing at Bardwell.

The Font

This has a plain octagon bowl, stem and pedestal. It is probably coaeval with the church.

The second font standing on its side against the organ is of similar stone and workmanship, except that it is shaped to fit into a corner. It was brought to the church by Mr. Basil Brown of Rickinghall from Manor Farm, Bardwell where it had been used as a cattle trough. It had been found some years before in the meadows below the church near the Bailey bridge. (Seepage 3).

 Royal Arms

The arms of George II hang on the north wall of the nave above the font.

 The War Memorials

There are three War Memorials in Bardwell church, one to the fallen of the World War 1914-1918, one to those of the l939-45 war and one to the seven men of Bardwell killed in the Crimean War 1853-56. This latter memorial is, we believe, unique in Suffolk.

 The Nave Roof (field glasses will be a help)

This is the least known of the beautiful painted hammer beam roofs of Suffolk. True, all but four of the “angels” have been cut down front the “hammers” but of these four figures one is most precious—the first from the tower on the north side. This carries an open book bearing the date CCCCXXI (1421)—obviously the date of the roof. It is probably the only mediaeval roof so dated in England. The “angels” have no wings and are dressed in royal blue cassock-type garments, with narrow upstand­ing collars, and have varied and beautifully carved faces. Of the three remaining figures, the other on the north side appears to carry a heavy billet of wood, and the two on the south side opposite them carry a large laurel wreath and a large sponge on a stick, respectively. Perhaps the missing figures carried other emblems of the Passion.

The rafters are painted in a “trail” pattern of leaves and bunches of grapes similar to those at Long Melford and Kersey. The thin arched braces are painted in black and white “barbers-pole” stripes, and the sides of the hammer beams are painted in tracery designs.

 The Roof Bosses

Equally notable with the “angels”, but more difficult to see with the unaided eye, are the 29 carved and painted roof bosses in this church. There were originally three rows of eleven bosses, but four near the west end have been lost. They are all lozenge shaped plaques attached to the joints in the rafters, and are similar to those in St. Helens Hospital, Norwich, and Yaxley Church, Suffolk. The subjects include, two bishops or mitred abbots, three women with various head-dresses, a foliate head, a lion’s face, a grotesque with a protruding tongue, a “sun-face”, a heraldic shield, and what can only be described as a “royal mask”, among many variations of foliage and Tudor roses. Specialised photography alone can do justice to these forgotten treasures.

 Wall Plates

Between the perfectly preserved wall plates, which are crenellated and have stylised foliage below, and the roof, is an incomplete series of painted heraldic shields, alternating a red cross on white, and a gold cross on red.

 The Wall Paintings

These mediaeval paintings were rediscovered on the navy walls in 1853 by Rev. A. P. Dunlap when he was giving Bardwell church one of those very thorough Victorian “Restorations” celebrated by John Betjeman.

He identified “St. Christopher” over the blocked north door;

The Modern Stained Glass 

The three windows of the chancel, as well as the two eastern most of the south side of the nave, are filled with Victorian stained glass of quite good quality. The one on the north side of the chancel depicting the “Walk to Emmaus” is by O’Connor of London, and was the gift of Sir Henry Blake and Louisa his wife, 1869.

The east window shows six of the seven Corporal Works of Mery, quite an unusual subject, and is dated 1863. It was given as a memorial to the two husbands of Mrs. Hutchings, Wm. Lemon Dunlap and Geo. Hutchings who both died in India.

The window on the south side is entitled “Feed My Sheep”, and must have been erected about 1864, as it was given by the mother of Rev. A. P. Dunlap in memory of his father.

The subjects of the two other modern stained glass windows are “The Presentation in the Temple” and “Job’s Reward” in memory of Sir Henry Charles Blake and Rev. A. P. Dunlap respectively.

 The Chancel

This was almost completely rebuilt by Rev. A. P. Dunlap in 1853. He must have lowered the floor level considerably as there is now one step between nave and chancel instead of the three noted in 1832 by David Elisha Davy.

The lords of the three manors in the parish, Bardwell Hall, Wyken and Wykes, were customarily buried in the chancel but of their memorials only those of the Croftes Reade family, lords of the manors Bardwell Hall 1558-1769 and for a while the manor of Wykes, remain in any numbers.

Sir William de Bardwell and his lady were buried in the chancel and had a “brass” over their tomb up to the time of the Civil War and Commonwealth 1640-1660. But, according to a note in the Parish Register by Rev. Arthur Heron, Rector 1631-75, that brass and three others of single individuals buried in the nave, were stolen by “sacrilegious military hands”. A Purbeck slab showing the indentations of two figures and their inscription were still in the church when Davy visited it in 1832, as well as the three others, but it is nowhere to be seen now. Only one slab remains, and will be described more fully below.

Brasses of two of Sir William’s descendants can be seen in West Harling Church, near Thetford in Norfolk.

 The Crofts Reade Memorials

1.    The first to be reached is a carved wall tablet on the east wall of the nave above the reading desk. It is to Cecilia, first wife of Sir Charles Crofts who died aged 36 years in 1626. She was a daughter of Richard Poley of Badley, Suffolk.

2.    Part of a tomb chest with coat of arms (“neatly bisected” in 1853) on the north side of the Sanctuary. This is to Sir Charles Crofts, Kt., husband of Cecilia (No. 1) and later of Jane, daughter of Sir Rowland Lytton of Knebworth, Hertfordshire, who is buried in St. Mary’s Knebworth. He died in 1660 aged 85 years leaving two daughters, co-heiresses. Two portraits of him existed in 1905, one in West Harling Hall, the other at Garboldisham.

3.    A plain wall tablet 3-ft. 6-in, above floor level in the corner between the north and east walls of the Sanctuary. This is to Thomas Crofts; the first member of his family to live at Bardwell. He was the second son of Sir John Crofts of West Stow, and was left the property in 1558. He died in 1595 aged 80 years.

 4.       Another plain wall tablet a few inches above (3). This is to the last of the Crofts Reade family, Thomas Croftes Reade. He lived in the moated manor house and died in 1769 aged 71 years, while on his way in his coach to go fishing.

5.       The second half of the divided tomb chest (see 2) on the south side of the Sanctuary also with coat of arms. This is in memory of Sir Charles Croftes Reade, grandson of Sir Charles Crofts (2). He died before his mother, Bridget Reade, in 1690, aged 38 years. He was married to Mary, one of the daughters of Sir Thomas Hewet of Pishiobury, near Sawbridge­worth, Hertfordshire.

 6.       On the south wall of the Sanctuary is a very large marble wall monument, with pediment supported by two Doric columns. This is to Thomas Reade, twin of Sir Charles Crofts Reade (5). He died of a fever in Nottinghamshire in 1678 aged 26 years, unmarried. There are portraits of these twin brothers painted 1673 still in existence at Troston Hall.

7.       On the south wall of the chancel west of the door is a large carved wall monument with figures. This is in memory of Bridget Reade, elder surviving daughter of Sir Charles Crofts (2) and her husband Thomas Reade of Wrangle near Boston in Lincolnshire, and their seven children. He died in 1651 aged 37 years, she died in 1694 aged 80 years. The children in the panel below are, from left to right:—

     A & B Thomas and Charles Crofts b 1652 posthumous twins holding hands, kneeling. (5 & 6)

C Charles born May 1651 died 1651 lying down with a skull under his pillow.

D Crofts born June 1648 died May 1649 kneeling holding skull.

E  Jane born 1645 died 1665. Married to Sir John Playter of Sotterley, Suffolk. She carries a small red rose.

F Judith born 1645 died 1651 carrying a skull.

G  Bridget born 1649 died 1726 married to Sir John Castleton of Stuston, nr. Diss, Norfolk, where she is buried.  She carries a large red rose.

 8.       Wall tablet on the southwest wall of the chancel. This is in memory of Elizabeth, the 15 year old daughter of Sir Charles Crofts (2) and his wife Cecilia (1). She died 1633.

9.       Ledger stone central chancel nearest nave. This is to Bridget Reade (7) 1614-1694 and also to Bridget Reade 1698-1746, daughter of Charles Croftes Reade and Susan his wife, and great grand-daughter of above.

10.   Ledger stone central chancel. This is in memory of two more children of Charles Croftes Reade and Susan his wife. They were James died 1705 aged 3 days and Susan Harrison died 1725 aged 17 years.

11.   and 12. Ledger stones to two infant daughters of Sir Charles Croftes Reade and Mary his wife, both named Mary. One died at 11 months in 1675 and the other at 15 months in 1679.

13.     Ledger stone north side of chancel to the memory of Robert Crofts, a London merchant born 1593 died 1633, the third son of Charles Crofts and Elizabeth his wife. 

(There are two more memorials to this branch of the Crofts family in Ixworth Thorpe Church, viz. :—Charles Croftes died 1616 and his wives Elizabeth and Thomasin; and John Crofts died 1644 second son of the above).

 Other Memorials

14.  On the west wall of the chancel is a tablet with lozenge coat of arms below, in memory of Mrs. Anne Medowes second daughter of Sir Thomas Medowes, first Mayor of Yarmouth. She died 1708 aged 40 years 9 months. Also remembered is her mother Dame Ann Medowes who died 1685 aged 56 years. Dame Ann was the daughter and heiress of Francis Muriel, Lord of the manor of Wyken.

15. On the north wall of the chancel a memorial with carved coffer above and rectangular tablet below, to the memory of Rev. James Welton late Rector of this parish who died 1772, and his wife and sister-in-law. The memorial was executed by Cushing of Norwich.

16. On the north wall of the chancel above the blocked doorway an oval -white marble tablet with black surround. It is to the memory of Gertrude Louisa Ann Dawson aged 11 years only daughter of the late Rev. George Augustus Dawson and Louisa his wife. It was executed by De Carle of Bury. After the death of Rev. G. A. Dawson, Mrs. Dawson married, as his second wife, Sir Henry Blake, Bart. (See Victorian stained glass windows).

17. On the south wall of the chancel near the doorway a white marble tablet with double gothic arch effect and black surround. It is to the memory of Rev. Henry Adams, B.D. for 36 years Rector of this parish, died 1852 and his wife Elizabeth, eldest daughter of G. Boldero of lxworth died 1855.

18. There is said to be a large ledger stone under the altar with a long inscription in Greek, to one of the Poley family.

19. In the nave aisle, directly below the step from the chancel, is the only remaining mediaeval tombstone in the church. It is a very long Purbeck slab and though badly worn shows quite clearly the indentation of a small central brass figure, and a brass border surround; It could be any of the following:— John Draper died 1529, Alyce Bolton died 1530, or Edward Tassell died 1532.

20. Immediately west of (19) in the nave aisle is a stone in memory of~ John Jeffes died 1822, his wife Patience died 1811 and their son James died 1781. John Jeffes was a benefactor of the poor of the parish.

21. West of above a stone in memory of three infant children of Cobbes Rushbrooke of Bowbeck and Ann his wife.

22. West of 21 a stone in memory of William Eaton of Bardwell Hall, one of the churchwardens of this parish during 30 years died 1837, his wife Ann died 1846, and their second daughter Sarah Deborah wife of George Goldsmith died 1839.

23.   On the north side of the font there is a stone to the memory of Robert Garrod died 1661, another benefactor of the poor of the parish.

24. Next to 23 a memorial to Mrs. Susanna Robinson and Mrs. Stutiville.

25. Next to 24 partly obliterated is a stone to Mrs. Elizabeth Greene 1703.

26. Behind the pulpit on the east wall of the nave is a plain wall tablet to Anna Maria Dunlap, mother of Rev. A. P. Dunlap, Rector of Bardwell 1852-1890 and foundress of the present school at Bardwell. She died 1854.

27. On the south wall of the nave above the pulpit is a marble tablet to Ramsey Arthur Paramour, nephew and godson of Rev. A. P. Dunlap, who was accidentally drowned while skating in Euston Park, February 1856.

28.   On the south wall of the nave west of the small door to stairs to former rood loft is a marble tablet to Henry T. Clough, Lieut. 1st West India Regiment, stepson of Rev. A. P. Dunlap, who died 1874 on his way home from the Ashantee War and is buried at Sierra Leone.

29.   On the south wall of the nave between window 1 and 2 is a marble tablet to Duncombe John and Gerard du Pre Clough, brothers of the above (28). One died aged 14 years at Bardwell Rectory in 1860, the other a cadet on H.M.S. Worcester died on his first voyage to India in 1867 aged 17 years and is buried at Colaba, Bombay.

30.   On the south wall of the nave west of (29), a brass wall plaque to Rev. A. P. Dunlap, Rector 1852-1889.

31 and 32., are large brownstone wall tablets on the south wall of the nave towards the door. They are difficult to read, but are most unusual. They are memorials erected by Rev. A. P. Dunlap to two servants, Sarah Hill died 1866 his housekeeper, and Sarah Jones died 1864 servant to his father-in-law who died at Bardwell. 

The Carved Wooden Panels

These two panels were discovered in the Rectory attic in the l890’s. They may be part of the carved screen which existed between chancel and nave when Davy visited the church in 1832.

 Aumbry

This is carved out of a solid piece of stone. It is in the centre of the north wall of the chancel.

 Squints

There are two squints carved diagonally through the pilasters at either side of the chancel arch. They date from the time before the Reforma­tion when side altars occupied the eastern corners of the nave, where the reading desk and pulpit now are.

 Rood Loft Stairs

A flight of stairs in the thickness of the wall runs from the easternmost part of the south wall of the nave and opens 15 feet up in the wall above. A wooden gallery, known as the Rood Loft, once spanned the nave here.

 Piscina

There is a piscina in the southeastern corner of the nave next to the door to the rood loft stairs. 

The Tower

This notable local landmark is 87 feet high. It is built of small pieces of flint rubble with a few scraps of freestone included. There is a frieze of chequer board flushwork (black flint and white freestone panels) around its base. It is reputed to have been paid for by Sir William de Bardwell “The Great Warrior”, but others besides Reginald Payne (see above) may have contributed.

It has of course needed constant attention and repair, some evidence of which can be seen on its roof. On the north side of the tower roof in the lead is the inscription:

“R. Roper. J. Jeffes. Churchwardens 1805”

On the inside of the parapets on the south east corner is the inscription:

“This tower struck by lightning May 17th 1883 Restored by H. Middleditch Builder, A. H. Hanchet mason, Rush foreman, A. P. Dunlap Rector, J. Peto, E. Goldsmith, Churchwardens”.

 The Clock

The dial dates from 1901 (Mayhew of Bury) but the movement was described by Mr. Horlick of Botesdale who repaired it in 1911 as “one of the very few remaining of its kind in England”.

 The Weathercock

This is supposed to be the one given to the church by William Goolde in 1530.

* * * * *

A PRAYER

O Lord Jesus Christ, master craftsman of Nazareth, grant that we, with those craftsmen of many ages whose work was done to Thy Glory, and with all Thy faithful and humble worshippers, may accept Thy promises and see the glory of Thy Father’s kingdom; through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 “Ecclesiastical History of England” Bede.

Proceedings of Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, Vol. II.

“Materials for a History of Norfolk”, Vol. I. 1805 Edition. F. Bloomfield.

Suffolk Green Books Vols. (Little Saxham and West Stow) S. H. A. Hervey.

Gentlemens Magazine, 1825.

Davy MSS, British Museum.

East Anglian Notes and Queries (New Series), Vol. IV.

Parish Magazines (bound copies) 1892-1918, Canon F. E. Warren.

A Dictionary of Suffolk Arms.

Portraits in West Suffolk Houses.

Portraits in Norfolk Houses.

Bardwell Registers, 1538-1650, ed. Canon F. E. Warren.

Roof Bosses in Mediaeval Churches, C. J. P. Cave.

 ADDITIONAL NOTE:

A copy of Bardwell/Bordwell Descendants (a genealogy) published by the Robert Bardwell Descendants American Ancestry Association, generously donated by Mr.Lester Bardwell of Seattle, U.S.A., is in the West Suffolk County Record Office, Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds.