The church at Troublesome Reach
September 20, 2022, 7:28 am , by Richard Lutz
Richard Lutz stumbles upon a riverside gem in Suffolk
The small wonders of Britain await after I digest the pomp of the Queen’s funeral. It is indisputable grandeur whether seen as Ruritanian nonsense or vital historic ritual, part of the bones of Britain whether you like it or not. I go for a journey into the quiet corners of Suffolk to clear my head of all things royal.
Usually, when I take off, I’m locked and loaded with two books. One is the local edition of The Pevsner guides which assiduously chronicle the notable buildings of every county, from grand to simple: churches, stately homes, schools, stables.
The other book is Simon Jenkins’ ’Britain’s Thousand Best Churches’, written by an author with a particularly lyrical hand at describing the arcane world of ecclesiastical architecture. He makes matters painstakingly plain by offering ratings (from a single star to the top rank five star review) for every church, no matter how humble, how remote, how pompous.
But time and time again, the place I enjoy is the one I stumble upon without a nudge from Pevsner or Jenkins. And near the obscure hamlet of Iken, as I follow the River Alde in the marshlands north of Ipswich, I see a squat tower peeking out of the surrounding oak, hornbeam and birch. It sits on a river bend, a river bend called Troublesome Reach. And so I head for this church just on the horizon:
It’s St Botolph’s and, in its 1400 year life, this thatched church has had its own troubles while overlooking Troublesome Reach. After being founded by the saintly monk Botolph in 650AD, it was levelled by Danish raiders in 870. Then it was vandalised and whitewashed by Reformation fanatics in the 1500’s. And then smashed up again and ’purged’ by the Puritans a century later.
Then St Botolph sunk into Suffolk obscurity and disrepair. It slumbered by the river and was forgotten. Ages passed and by 1940, there was a congregation of just a single churchgoer. It was shut and, in 1968, its ancient thatched roof and most of the nave was accidentally burnt down, partially destroyed after fourteen centuries of prayer and sermons, thanksgiving and weddings, baptisms and funerals.
But despite its ups and downs, this small church, sitting in old age at the end of a riverside lane bordered by brambles and wild roses, endured. Its thatch has been restored, its nave rebuilt. It’s whole again.
Inside are remnants of an ornate 1100 year old carved stone shaft sleeping against the north wall. And the 15thc font, decorated with lions, apostles and angels, sits suffused in soft river light:
A faint trace of red paint hints at a lost wall mural rubbed out 400 years ago by Protestant vandals. But I can’t make out any more of the medieval painting in this church created at the dawn of British Christianity. It is too faded, too little remains, it’s vanishing.
Outside in an autumn breeze, the flint tower, first glimpsed from a distance, still welcomes visitors who walk the curving river:
Well, most visitors anyway…:
And in a corner forever Suffolk, a memorial to a dead soldier:
Captain Tennyson, great grandson of the poet, fought and died ‘for a new world’ in Burma at the end of World War Two. He is buried there and he is remembered for a book he wrote in 1939 about walking in Suffolk, through its marshes, along its coast, under its wide empty skies. This commemorative stone brought him back from war, in a way, to become part of the church and his county on a quiet swerving river bend called Troublesome Reach.
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Angela
a lovely name for the bend in the river! Perhaps you should write your own guide to English/British churches Richard. I know you’ve been collecting old churches for a long time….
Will Travel
What surprises lie round each corner, what stories.
Mark Schwab
👏🏼
lol Freeman
ah, Suffolk
Jim Pierson
What are you doing over in Suffolk? They still point at aeroplanes there.
Barry Lito
Loved the article
Neil G/ Birmingham
A glimpse into a lovely corner of Suffolk and was prompted to explore my maps. I’m grateful
Marie Vaninn
not seen/heard of this church and I’m from Suffolk
– but fascinating story.
Mike
I bet you have had a few pints in the Butt & Oyster at Pin Mill and the pub at Ramsholt. And of course anywhere in the Southwold/Walberswick area for a great pint of Adnams!
Ralph Fernie
like the designation “Troublesome Reach” -reminds me a bit of “Cape Fear” here in the states.
Allyson Davies
Looks like you’ve been visiting places way down in the deep
south.
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