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Blythburgh
Covehithe with Benacre Frostenden Henstead with Hulver Reydon South Cove Sotherton Southwold Uggeshall Walberswick Wangford Wrentham |
Covehithe is a small village around 1 mile off the B1127 Wrentham-Southwold road. Coastal erosion puts this village in great danger of disappearance within the next century. The old building now in ruins, must have been a beautiful specimen of Perpendicular English, and is believed to have been constructed early in the fifteenth century.
The size of the Church was, of course, out of all proportion to the population of the district which, according to available records, never exceeded three hundred souls, and it has been said that its erection was financed by the private munificence of a wealthy incumbent - one William Yarmouth and his friends. This cleric was appointed in 1459 under the patronage of the Prior and Monastery of Thetford as were many of the Vicars between the years 1402 and 1536. The reason for this is that, from a very early period, the Parish of Covehithe (or North Hales as it was in those days) was dependent for its religious instruction upon the Prior and Monks of Wangford and their community was a Priory and Cell to Thetford that, in turn, was subordinate to the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny in France until the year 1393. 
It is often supposed that the old edifice was reduced to its present ruined state by the action of Cromwell's agents, but, although Dowsing, the Parliamentary Commissioner, has stated that he "broke down two hundred pictures - one Pope with divers Cardinals; Christ and the Virgin Mary; a picture of God the Father etc." he does not in fact appear to have done much structural damage apart from breaking some of the stained glass windows.
Some thirty years after his visit, when it became clear that the building was so much too large and the cost of maintenance so far beyond the means of the community, permission was granted by the Ecclesiastical Authorities in 1672 to erect the present small Church by utilising materials obtained from the original structure. Within the new edifice may be seen the octagonal font (defaced to some extent by Dowsing's men) which was in the old place of worship together with the pulpit and three poppy-head pew ends at the west end. Through an Order in Council granted by Her Majesty The Queen on 24th March 1974, the ruins and tower of the medieval church were transferred to the Redundant Churches Fund. They have carried out repair work on the arches and have recently completed extensive repairs to the old tower, so long a landmark to shipping on this coast, to ensure that there is no further deterioration. The ring of five bells has been completely overhauled; these bells are some of the oldest in the country and noted for their lovely tone.
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