St Mary, Hadleigh

St Mary’s is an Anglican church in the centre of Hadleigh, Suffolk. Built mainly of flint with ashlar dressings, it has medieval roots and was rebuilt in the 15th century when Hadleigh’s wool trade brought wealth. The church is Grade I listed and is known as one of the county’s ‘wool churches’. Its broach spire, dating from the early 1300s, is the earliest surviving spire in Suffolk and was described by Simon Jenkins as bold. The lead covering was renewed in 1926, and the roofs remain covered in lead. The church’s setting is framed by notable buildings. Deanery Tower stands opposite the west end; built in red brick by Archdeacon William Pykenham in the late 1400s, it was designed as a self-contained gatehouse. The timber-framed Guildhall or Market Hall, also Grade I listed, sits to the south across the graveyard. The Deanery, abutting the tower, is an early 19th-century house in Tudor style. A painting by Thomas Gainsborough from about 1748 shows the church after renovations, with boys playing marbles on a tomb. Inside, the church has a nave and chancel with aisles, a two-storey south porch and a north vestry. The arcades and clerestory were added in the 15th century, and later restorations took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The churchyard is bordered by Church Walk and contains Deanery Tower and the Guildhall. The churchyard is described as the town’s most spectacular site, with the church at its heart.