Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford

The Church of the Holy Trinity stands in the Suffolk village of Long Melford, a large medieval wool church built between 1467 and 1497 in the Perpendicular Gothic style. It is one of only 310 English churches dedicated to the Trinity and was funded by wealthy wool merchants to show their success. The church has survived the religious changes of the 16th and 17th centuries with many original features intact. Experts praise its proportions and style, with Nikolaus Pevsner calling it ‘one of the most moving parish churches of England’. Simon Jenkins rated it five stars in England’s Thousand Best Churches, the only Suffolk church to receive top marks. The church is chiefly known for its exceptional collection of medieval stained glass, described by a Victoria and Albert Museum expert as ‘very special and extremely rare’. Among the surviving panels is an image of Elizabeth de Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk, believed to have inspired John Tenniel’s Queen of Hearts. The sanctuary holds an early alabaster nativity panel hidden under the floor during the Reformation and rediscovered later. The Clopton family played a key role in its history, with John Clopton financing much of the rebuilding after his release from the Tower of London. Inside, the nave stretches 152.6 feet and is lit by 74 tracery windows, many with original glass. The Clopton Chapel contains brasses dating from 1420 to 1558 and a double squint allowing priests to see the high altar. The Lady Chapel, once used as a school, has steep gables and a multiplication table on its wall. The Martyn Chapel to the south holds tombs of local families, while the Clopton Chantry Chapel displays faded portraits of John Clopton and his wife beneath a canopy vault. The church’s stone carvings resemble work at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, suggesting the same master mason may have been involved.