The mystery of Crowfield Church in Suffolk

In this video I visit All Saints Church in Crowfield, Suffolk's most hidden church. I explore why the church stands alone on the landscape and what happened to the village that once surrounded it.
I have a look inside the church and discover a detailed scale model. Then I go in search of today's Crowfield village.
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Music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

[@jedwyer]

outstanding tour and history

[@stephensamber1]

I am a Middleton relative who lives in South Carolina, U.S. The church was involved in a bitter and lengthy dispute between Sir Nicholas Bacon and Daniel Browninge (husband to Hester Middleton) in regards to financial matters. After 1753, William J. Middleton (1710-1785), a wealthy planter in SC, inherited the property and moved his family from SC to Suffolk. In 1862, an extensive church restoration took place at the direction of Lady Middleton in memory of her husband, Sir William Fowle Middleton, 2nd Baronet of Shrubland Hall (1784-1860), the grandson of Wm. J. Middleton.

[@videotraveller6848]

Hi, lovely video, thank you. There is also a timberframed church - St Andrew's in Greenstead, Essex.

[@Walksandwanders]

Thank you. 🙂

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

We visited this church yesterday - so magical and like something from a fairytale! Loved your video and all the info, thank you.

[@MelanieChadwick]

I'm here too because of the photo you took of it Natasha! Really fascinating to find out about this church. P.s I have been drawing it.

[@Jon1950]

During the Victorian renovation of the church, the stone part of the church, the nave, was completely demolished right down to ground level, then rebuilt using the original materials. Two large stained glass windows were added along with other features, including the pews with the carved ends. The chancel of the church was itself taken apart a few decades ago for repairs, and from the outside you can easily identify where new timbers replaced rotten ones. So, although there are records of a church being on the site since the C14 , I believe it is fair to say that the current nave only dates back to the 1860s.

[@ableese2068]

Another great video, Don. A few other timber-framed churches in the UK for you: St. Lawrence's Church, Denton; St. James' and St. Paul's Church, Marton; and St. Oswald's Church, Knutsford - all in and around Cheshire. There is also St. Peter's Chapelry in Besford, Worcestershire which is like the reverse of Crowfield, it being a timber-framed building with a small stone chancel. I can't think of any others in Suffolk but Stonham Aspal church does have a wooden belfry built by Theodore Ecclestone of Crowfield. There was a hall on the moated site, I understand that it burned down in the 15th century. Another one nearby, called Bocking Hall, was standing by the time of a survey in 1665 when the parish was called Crowfield-cum-Bocking. Lady Middleton lived here (the Middletons owned the Hall from 1728 when they rebuilt it and called it Crowfield Hall then, in 1829 it was pulled down and the new hall was built. The idea that the plague moved the village is possible as it's happened elsewhere in Suffolk but if the hall didn't move until 1829 then it's not certain, I suppose.

[@Walksandwanders]

A Bleese All interesting stuff! Thanks for this. 👍

[@veronicamachin9845]

Greensted Church, Essex; St Lawrence, Steeple, Essex; St Mary's Mundon certainly has a timber belfrey and is very old.

[@emilysmith1750]

Love these local history walks. ☺️

[@Walksandwanders]

Emily Smith Thanks Emily. 👍

[@rodfryatt4266]

One of my favourite churches. I try to visit it once a year.

[@Walksandwanders]

It is quite special. 🙂

[@julieblackstock8650]

we just visited here and found Roy Hudds grave

[@craig374]

Great video, very interesting. I'm actually metal detecting on a piece of land not far from the church, the land owner told me that there was a saxon settlement just behind the church so it just shows you how far back crowfield history go

[@Walksandwanders]

It does indeed. Hope you have some exciting finds. 👍

[@Jon1950]

Craig, I believe the original settlement was located opposite the cottage at the junction of Church Road and Crowfield Road (the road to Stonham Aspal). Broughton Hall Farm is the owner. Jon

[@BEACHLIFE78]

nice video thanks for sharing 👍

[@FJMLAM]

Very interesting.geat film

[@michaelosborne8831]

Great history Video

[@Walksandwanders]

Michael Osborne Thanks Michael! 👍

[@Jon1950]

The Middletons moved to the Carolinas, which is no doubt why there is a Crowfield in South Carolina. I looked links to slavery and there are some, but more the uncle of William Middleton if I remember correctly. He farmed rice. I didn't write any of it down, so this is from memory. The newer Crowfield Hall was demolished less than a hundred years after is was built but there are remnants of it lying around/used as ornamental stonework.

[@heathercampbell2686]

Love this channel but the music is to modern to accompany this video of an old country church. Music is important of setting the tone of rural bygone days. Look to using Bach , Beethoven or Chopin bits . etc.

[@Walksandwanders]

The classics are copyrighted and would get my channel deleted. Also jazz is an identifying theme of my channel. But I understand it’s not to everyone’s taste. 🙂

[@grahamkeeble3764]

Why not show us the war graves?. The village may have moved to escape the Black Death.

[@Walksandwanders]

Graham Keeble Thanks Graham. Yes a couple of people have since suggested that. As for the war graves I hadn’t done research on that but was thinking of doing a video on local war graves and memorials as a separate video.

[@Jon1950]

There is a single war grave in the churchyard. It belongs to 1724940 Aircraftman 2nd Cl. J Wright, Royal Air Force who died on 5 May 1943 Age 20. He was a member of 1622 Flight RAF. He was killed flying in a Defiant. The Defiant was removed from combat duties in 1942 and used for training, target towing, electronic countermeasures etc. In this case the aircraft was being used for towing when it tangled with the tow rope and dived into ground. The crew, Sgt. N.E. Reilly (pilot) RAF and AC Wright RAF were killed. This is a report of the loss of the aircraft he was in when he was killed: Date: 05-MAY-1943 Time: Type: Boulton Paul Defiant TT.Mk I Owner/operator: 1622 Flt RAF Registration: DR940 C/n / msn: 981 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Becton Farm, 1 mile S of New Milton, Hampshire United Kingdom Phase: Unknown Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport:

[@Jon1950]

As far as the village migrating because of plague there is no evidence of this, even though some of the locals have passed this down from generation to generation as being true. The nearest recorded cases of plague that I could find were at Needham Market several miles away. In fact Needham Market was 'chained' during the outbreak and two thirds of it population died.