St Andrew's Church, Covehithe

St Andrew's Church, Covehithe

The ruins of a stone church seen from the southeast showing the walls of the chancel and south aisle, with the intact tower beyond

St Andrew's Church, Covehithe
St Andrew's Church, Covehithe
Location in Suffolk
Coordinates: 52°22′36″N 1°42′20″E / 52.3768°N 1.7055°E / 52.3768; 1.7055
OS grid reference TM 523 818
Location Covehithe, Suffolk
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website Churches Conservation Trust
St Andrew, Covehithe
History
Dedication Saint Andrew
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade I
Designated 27 November 1954
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic
Administration
Parish Covehithe with Benacre
Deanery Halesworth
Archdeaconry Suffolk
Diocese St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Province Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s) Revd Leonard John Payne
On the left the lower part of a tower, on the right the ruined wall of the aisle, and between them part of the small newer church with a thatched roof
Thatched church seen within the ruins

St Andrew's Church is a partly redundant Anglican church in the hamlet of Covehithe in the English county of Suffolk. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building,[1] Part of the church is in ruins and this is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] The church stands on a lane leading directly towards the sea, in an area of coast which has suffered significant ongoing erosion.[2][3] The parish of Covehithe has been combined with neighbouring Benacre.[4]

History

The oldest fabric in the original large medieval church dates from the 14th century, although most of it is from the 15th century. During the Civil War much of the stained glass was destroyed by the local iconoclast William Dowsing.[5] By the later part of that century the large church was too expensive for the parishioners to maintain, and they were given permission in 1672 to remove the roof and to build a much smaller church within it.[5][6] This small church is still in use, while the tower and the ruins of the old church are maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust.[2]

Architecture

Medieval church

This is constructed in random flint rubble with stone dressings. Its plan consists of a nave, a chancel, north and south seven-bay aisles, a north sacristy, and a west tower. The tower is still intact and is in three principal stages, with buttresses and a battlemented parapet. On the south side of the middle stage is an ogee-headed opening. There are bell openings on each side of the top stage, but their tracery is missing. The wall of the south aisle is more complete than the north wall, and contains six intact window openings. The chancel projects one bay beyond the aisles, and contains tall window openings in its north and south wall, and a large east window opening. The buttresses at the east end are decorated with chequered flushwork, and contain canopied niches for statues. Some of the carved corbels for the chancel roof are still present.[1]

Newer small church

The west end of the 17th-century church is built against the tower.[5] Its fabric includes much material re-used from the older church, and some brick. Its roof is thatched. The windows have two lights separated by wooden mullions, and contain diamond-leaded windows. Both the north and the south doorways have been re-used. The east window dates from the 19th century. Inside the church is a 15th-century carved octagonal font. At the west end are 15th-century pews with poppyhead carving. The wooden pulpit contains some 17th-century carving. Under the tower arch are the royal arms of George III.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England, "Church of St Andrew, Covehithe (1032168)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 24 September 2013
  2. 1 2 3 St Andrew's Church, Covehithe, Suffolk, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 25 March 2011
  3. Covehithe, Streetmap, retrieved 19 February 2011
  4. Covehithe with Benacre, St Andrew, Covehithe with Benacre, Church of England, retrieved 10 May 2011
  5. 1 2 3 St Andrew, Covehithe, Suffolk Churches, retrieved 19 February 2011
  6. Covehithe, St Andrew's Church, Britain Express, retrieved 19 February 2011
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