About Saint Mary’s Church in Thornham Parva, Suffolk, England:
Saint Mary’s Church in Thornham Parva, Suffolk, England is a small, medieval parish church known for its thatched roof, early origins, and exceptional medieval art treasures. A church on the site is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Traces of Anglo-Saxon stonework remain, including a small Saxon window in the west wall. Much of the current fabric dates from the 12th century (Norman period), with two Norman doorways. The church has a continuous nave and chancel under a thatched roof (reed thatch), plus a low west tower with a thatched pyramid roof. It is built of flint with ashlar dressings and is a Grade I listed building. It contains early 14th-century wall paintings: Scenes from the early life of Christ (north wall) and the martyrdom of St Edmund (south wall).
The star attraction is known as the Thornham Parva Retable: a rare, large (about 12–15 feet long) medieval altarpiece from around the 1330s, likely made for the Dominican priory at Thetford in the 1330’s. At 15 feet (4.6 m) long, it is the largest surviving altarpiece from the English Middle Ages.
The retable survived the iconoclastic reformers of the 16th Century, who destroyed many of England’s medieval culture, by being removed from its church. It was discovered in 1927 in a wood pile in a loft at Thornham Hall, belonging to a Suffolk landowner, Lord Henniker. He donated it to St Mary’s Church, Thornham Parva, where his brother was parson.
The Thornham Parva Retable has eight panels of saints in niches surrounding a Crucifixion. The origins of the retable were a puzzle but the images provide clues. The figures pinpointed links with the Dominican Order. At either end are St Dominic and St Peter Martyr, joint patrons of the Dominicans. St Catherine and St Margaret of Antioch were the order’s mascots. The Apostles Peter and Paul, who were believed to have spoken to St Dominic, all point towards Dominican interest.
The presence of Edmund the Martyr suggests an East Anglian link. John the Baptist’s figure might seem more obscure, but the benefactors of the Dominican Priory at Thetford, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey and Edmund Gonville would have expected their namesakes to be part of the finished painting. It features a central Crucifixion with saints in panels (including St Dominic, St Peter Martyr, St Edmund, etc.). Discovered in 1927 in a loft at Thornham Hall, it was restored and returned in 2003. It is one of the finest surviving English medieval altarpieces.
Other items in the church include a 14th-century font, 15th-century screen, iron-bound chest, and a 1640 Bible.
A notable burial here is Architect Sir Basil Spence (Coventry Cathedral) in the churchyard.
Traveling to Saint Mary’s Church in Thornham Parva, Suffolk, England:
Although, like so much of England, it is no longer a Catholic church, it is an interesting glimpse in to the Catholic history of England. The church is lit by oil lamps (no electric lights) and sits in a peaceful, rural setting surrounded by fields.
The church is a hidden gem for lovers of medieval architecture and art, especially its large altar screen. It is one of the quiet English countryside churches and is typically open daily during daylight hours (typically 10am–4pm).
Address: Bull Road, Thornham Parva, Eye, Suffolk IP23 8ES (near the A140, northwest of Eye).