St Mary's Church, Rickinghall Superior

St Mary’s Church stands in Rickinghall Superior, a Suffolk village on the east side of the A143 road. It is a redundant Anglican church, no longer used for regular worship, and now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. The building dates from the 14th century, with later changes in the 15th and 19th centuries. A wide nave without aisles leads to a shorter chancel, and a four-stage west tower rises above the west end. The church is built of flint rubble with ashlar and brick dressings, giving it a solid, plain appearance. The church is worth visiting for its Grade I listing and its well-preserved medieval details. The nave contains four large Perpendicular windows, and the chancel has 14th- and 15th-century windows. Inside, a 15th-century piscina and sedilia survive in the chancel, and the octagonal font is also from the 14th century. The stained glass includes work by O’Connor from 1868 and by Heaton, Butler and Bayne around 1875. Six bells hang in the tower, cast between 1712 and 1911. Visitors find a quiet churchyard with Grade II listed memorials, including chest tombs and headstones for local families. The south porch has two storeys and a two-light window above its arch. Inside, the timber bier of 1763 and the benefactions and peal boards add to the sense of history. Fragments of 15th-century stained glass remain in the nave and chancel windows, offering glimpses of the past. The church stands on a decorated plinth, and gargoyles project from the north and south walls.