Church Exterior
St. Mary's, Cratfield
St. Mary's, Cratfield is smaller and less imposing than the church at Fressingfield. The church is built of worn and knapped flint with extravagant use of mortar. It has a hammer-beamed roof and square, crenallated tower. Only the corner and side buttresses were mixed with stone.
west side porch entrance
There is a plane and ancient porch entrance to the west, but no priests' room.
A single small, narrow niche over the door had been emptied of its icon of St. Mary the Virgin.
The graves (above) closest to the door include those of Joshua Moore and Elizabeth Stoupher, who owned the Public House in the 1830's. Joshua was the brother of Elizabeth Moore who married William Barber, October 4th, 1811.
William Barber was parish clerk in the early 1830's, living with Elizabeth and their children in the parish house, immediately to the west.
Nearby is an ancient table tomb, covered with dark green ivy. Huge oaks once grazed the chancel-end, but they were toppled in a 1990's storm.
 |
west side |
 |
The church has nine high perpendicular windows; the lower wider perpendicular windows have fine tracings at the top.
north, front entrance (not used) |
east side |
facing west to Parish House |
The flint of the side chapel seems newer and is more warmly brown. In the older part of the building, the napped flint is darker grey.
walk to Vicar's garden |
Vicarage |
Behind the church a path through ancient trees and covered gravestones goes to the old vicarage garden to the east.
See also Suffolk Churches
