A visit to Cockfield

St Peter's Church, Cockfield.

My son Matthew has been staying with us this weekend, and yesterday we decided to visit the art event that continues today and tomorrow in Cockfield.

Before the visit we had a substantial lunch at the Horseshoes, an ancient inn on the Lavenham/Bury Road, which is always atmospheric, cool on a warm day,  and welcoming both to dogs and to humans.

We enjoyed the Art Show.  It was good to be able to catch up with some friends from the village and surrounding area, and there was a lot of art on display. I particularly liked the crafts section and was pleased to find a glass pendant to replace a favourite one, recently shattered.


Later we took the dog for a walk via the impressive building that is St Peter's Church.  We very much admired the adjacent former church house, an Elizabethan forerunner of the village hall, in which parish events were held following 16th century edicts against 'feasting in the church'.  The Church itself a fine 14th century tower from which apparently a rector in the 18th centuryused to use a telescope to view the night sky.  The gargoyles on the exterior depict ferocious devils.   Inside the church offers much of interest with decorated windows to the north aisle and perpendicular to the south.  There is a fine tie beam roof dating from the 15th century.


On the way home we dropped into the much smaller Church of St Mary at Thorpe Morieux.  In an attractive rural setting this dates from the late 13th Century.  Little sign of this period remains however, apart from one lancet window in the north aisle and an unusual font which stands on five columns.  This lovely thing is pictured below; I am not so sure about the wooden font cover.