St Margaret’s, Suffield

Currently closed whilst work is undertaken but usually open daily dawn to dusk.
Parking nearby
Rood screen
Grade I

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This church building is managed by Norwich Diocesan Churches Trust.

St Margaret's Church sits amongst fields in its scattered village. Decorative sound holes and a chequered base course offset the stark tower top (the tower was unfinished at the dawn of the Reformation in the 1520s). Enter through the fine 16th century door into the bright interior. The treasure of this church is the early 16th century rood screen. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, that is indeed a pig playing the harp with three smaller pigs dancing in the adjacent panel. Other creatures present include an monkey dress in a monk's robe, a fox being attacked by geese, a wild man, and a unicorn spearing a neighbouring eagle. Also present are the Four Latin Doctors (St Ambrose, St Augustine, St Gregory the Great and St Jerome) on the north side. Two blank panels may have featured the missing Evangelists, St Matthew and St Mark. The two more unusual figures are Sir John Schorne (d.1313), a pious man said to have miraculously cast the devil into a boot and whose shrine became a popular pilgrimage site. The other figure may be St Jeron. This church is in the care of the Diocesan Churches Trust.

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