The Church of St Peter and St Mary dates from the 14th century.[1] It stands at the centre of the medieval town and serves as its parish church.[2][3] The double designation to Saint Peter and Saint Mary reflects a late-medieval amalgamation when the living of St Peter was combined with that of a separate church dedicated to St Mary.[4]Tree-ring dating places timbers used in the spire of the church to the years 1362–1363.[4] The main body of the church dates from this time, although the tower is later. The church was extensively restored during three separate renovations in the Victorian era.[1] The spire has been replaced a number of times, most recently in 1994.[4]
In the 17th century the vicar was Thomas Young, the tutor of John Milton.[5][a] Young is buried in the church. The church contains memorials to residents of Stowmarket who died in the First and Second World Wars.[7] In November 2000, the then vicar of St Peter and St Mary, was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for embezzlement of church funds.[8][9]
The church remains an active parish church and regular services are held.[3]
Architecture
The church is built of local flint with ashlar stone dressings. The tower is of four storeys with a crenellatedparapet.[1] The style is mainly Decorated Gothic.[10] The interior was heavily restored by Richard Phipson, architect to the Diocese of Norwich, in the mid-19th century.[4] James Bettley, in his 2015 revised Suffolk: West volume of the Pevsner Buildings of England series, notes the large number of memorials within the church to members of the Tyrrell family, local landowners.[4][b] The spire existed in Medieval times, it was replaced in 1674, destroyed in the Great storm of 1703, replaced in 1712 and removed due to its instability in 1975. A further timber replacement was installed in 1993–1994, which replicates the earlier structures in having an external gallery.[10]
Notes
^The garden of the former vicarage, now renamed Milton House, contains a Mulberry tree reputedly planted by Milton.[6]
