Saint Pancras Church

Saint Pancras is a Roman Catholic church in the centre of Ipswich, built in the 19th century as part of the Catholic revival. The church stands on red brick with a slate roof and is a grade II listed building. It was designed by George Goldie, a leading Catholic architect of the time. The church was partly funded by Abbé Louis Simon, a French priest who fled the Revolution and sold family property in Normandy to pay for the work. The church was consecrated in 1861 by the Bishop of Northampton, with Cardinal Manning preaching at the ceremony. The church has witnessed important moments in local Catholic history. Two years after opening, it became the target of anti-Catholic riots in 1863, during which the curate barricaded himself inside for two days. The disturbances were stopped only when the Mayor called in 200 special constables. In 1871 the church became a separate parish, first served by the Pallottine order. It later merged with St Mary’s and became the centre of Ipswich’s Polish community in the 1940s. Inside, the main altar at the east end is framed by reredos and five large statues of Christ and the four evangelists. The Lady chapel to the north holds a statue of the Virgin Mary and a marble floral altar. The choir loft at the west end, rebuilt after a fire in 1985, contains a two-manual organ installed in 1891 and a modern rose window by artist Danielle Hopkinson. The nave’s Venetian-style arches alternate red and white brick, and the wooden roof and original pews remain. Outside, the presbytery has a small garden with a copy of the statue of Our Lady of Ipswich.