Churches in Felixstowe

Location: Hamilton Road, Felixstowe IP11 7AN, UK

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Standing proudly over the Town Centre is St. John’s Church. Built in the 1890’s by Sir Arthur Blomfield, this red-brick building is noted for its 20th C. stained glass and magnificent spire. It is mentioned in John Betjeman’s poem ‘Felixstowe, or The Last of Her Order’.

At Old Felixstowe, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul dates back to the 14th C. with extensive later changes and additions. It is certainly the town’s most atmospheric church set in a lovely churchyard with trees and shrubs. Inside seek out the little wooden dog and a memorial to John Hudspith Turner who translated the scriptures into Eskimo.

Built in 1930, Grade II listed St. Andrew’s Church with its fine cedar trees is England’s first reinforced concrete church. It was designed by Hilda Mason and Raymond Erith.

Whilst the United Reformed Church is one of the few churches in Felixstowe that still have pews and a wonderful pipe organ, as well as interesting windows. You can see the window that was repaired with help of a grant from the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.

There is an unusual sight at the Trimley Villages – two churches sitting side by side in the same churchyard, reputedly the result of a family feud between two sisters. St. Martin’s is noted for its chapel built from the will of Roger Cavendish – a family descendant was Elizabethan adventurer Thomas Cavendish, the third Englishman to circumnavigation the world.

Whilst neighbouring St. Mary’s has a fabulous collection of stained glass. The brother of Lord Nelson was a rector here. In the churchyard are some fantastic 17/18th C. gravestones featuring skulls. Ancient St. Ethelbert’s Church in the village of Falkenham is set in a idyllic and tree-shaded graveyard. Dedicated to the Saxon King of the East Angles, its crowning glory is the 14th C. single hammerbeam roof featuring angels with out-stretched wings looking down from above.

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