Architecture Paul Waddington follows up Fr Whisenant’s article with a special feature on the architecture and history of the church of St Edmund at Withermarsh Green

Paul Waddington follows up Fr Whisenant’s article with a special feature on the architecture and history of the church of St Edmund at Withermarsh Green

Sometimes, one finds Catholic churches in very isolated locations. A case in point is the Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund, King and Martyr at Withermarsh Green, a tiny hamlet close to the River Stour in Suffolk. It is a quaint part of rural England made famous by the paintings of John Constable.

As is often the case with rural Catholic churches, it owes its location to a recusant family, in this case, the Mannocks of nearby Giffords Hall. The Mannock family acquired Giffords Hall in 1428 and continued to live there until 1830. The present Hall dates from the early sixteenth century, although elements of the earlier thirteenth century manor survive. Within the grounds are the ruins of the chapel of St Nicholas which date from the year 1216.

At the time of the Reformation, the Mannock family remained staunchly Catholic, and during penal times, Mass was offered in Giffords Hall. Indeed, several family members of the family were ordained priests, with at least two being Jesuits. Priests must have lived at the Hall, and been secreted in and out regularly, although there is no record of any being caught. The family did, however, suffer many deprivations for their religious beliefs, being sequestered no less than eight times in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Nevertheless, they were able to hold on to Giffords Hall, if not all their land. Some protection may be attributable to the high status of the family and their association with the Dukes of Norfolk.

Lord Edmund Howard, the third son of Thomas Howard, second Duke of Norfolk, succeeded to ownership of nearby Tendring Hall at Stoke-by-Nayland in 1524. Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was Sir Edmund’s niece, and Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife was his daughter. Both were beheaded. The Mannock family frequently visited Tendring Hall, and so mixed with some of the most powerful people in the land. Indeed, Catherine Howard went to the gallows in 1542, partly because of an alleged affair with a member of the Mannock family.

The friendship between the Howard and the Mannock families persisted in most unlikely circumstances. Lord Edmund Howard was the brother of Thomas Howard, the third Duke of Norfolk and the man Henry VIII despatched to defeat the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536. The Duke recruited most of his army in Suffolk, which must have caused some friction with the recusant Mannocks.

Sir Francis Mannock became a Baronet in 1627. He was ennobled for providing King Charles I with foot soldiers for “the defence of the Kingdom of Ireland”. The Baronetcy ended 1787 with the death of Sir George Mannock, the ninth Baronet. He was a Jesuit priest, and was killed in a road accident, when the coach he was travelling in was overturned near Dover. The story is told that Sir George was on his way to Rome, so that he could renounce his priesthood in order to marry and thus have children to continue the Baronetcy. If this story is correct, his plan failed.

Mass since 1216

The Church at Withermarsh Green was built in 1827 on land donated by the Mannock family, shortly before they left the Hall. It was originally dedicated to St Edmund. The addition of Our Lady Immaculate as the principal patron seems to have happened later. At the time of opening, it was one of only four Catholic churches in Suffolk. It is recorded that the building was paid for by public subscription, although most probably the Mannocks headed the subscription list. A few years later, the family left Giffords Hall after a tenure of more than 400 years.

The Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund is a modest building, seemingly built on a small budget. Like many Catholic churches of the period, it was built to resemble a Nonconformist chapel. Nevertheless, it has sufficient merit and historical interest to be Grade II Listed. It is rectangular in plan, and constructed of yellow brick with a slate roof. Often described as barnlike, there is little that is remarkable about the exterior. However, the proportions are pleasing, and there is simple but elegant tracery in the four two-light windows on the Gospel side. These are not original, Gothic tracery having been inserted into the plain window openings at some point. The west end features a castellated porch, beneath which is a pair of really sturdy doors.

Alongside the porch in a blocked-up window is a tablet bearing the date 1991, with the following inscription:

Here at Withermarsh, the Mass has been celebrated without interruption from about 1216, first nearby in a medieval chapel visible from this place in the grounds of Giffords Hall; then in the hall itself under the care of the Mannock family who dwelt there for 460 years and finally in this chapel built in 1827undertheirpatronage and by public subscription to provide a permanent place of Catholic worship.

The interior of the church has great charm. The principal feature is the sarcophagus-shaped altar mounted on the usual three steps. Behind the altar is a large oil painting depicting the crucifixion. This painting, together with the altar, were transferred from the chapel in Giffords Hall. To either side of the altar are statues of Our Lady and St Joseph, and the sanctuary is enclosed by iron altar rails. A simple and elegantly curved barrel ceiling contributes to the intimacy of the interior. At the west end, there is a small gallery with an iron balustrade to match the altar rails. It is supported by cast iron columns and approached by a winding stairway. The church retains its original font and holy water stoup. The stations of the cross, although not original, suit the church well.

The presbytery is attached to the (liturgical) south wall of the church, which accounts for that wall of the church having no windows. It is much older than the church, but was largely rebuilt at the time of the church’s opening. This would suggest that there was a resident priest from the time the church opened; and it is likely that the priest lived in this house when Mass was offered in the Hall.

Until a Catholic church was opened at Sudbury in 1880, the church at Withermarsh Green served a huge area, encompassing most of the Stour valley. It became a parish following the refounding of the English hierarchy in 1850, and gained a Chapel of Ease in 1902, with the building of the Church of the Sacred Heart at nearby Stoke-by-Nayland. The Sacred Heart Church was paid for by the Cuddon family, and its initial congregation was made up almost entirely of Cuddons.

The twenty-first century brought radical changes. Withermarsh Green lost its resident priest, although Sunday Masses continued for a while, being served by a priest from Hadleigh. Later, the Diocese of East Anglia implemented a policy of closing smaller churches, and regular Masses ended. The church and presbytery were put up for sale, and that might have been the end of the story.

The altar and painting of the crucifixion were formerly at Giffords Hall However, the Fenwick family, who lived in the area, were determined the church should be retained for Catholic worship. They bought the church and presbytery, adapting the latter for holiday letting. Occasional services offered by visiting priests continued in the church until recent times.

In the summer of 2020 Bishop Alan Hopes of East Anglia announced that the Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund would become the focus of a Latin Mass Chaplaincy within the Diocese of East Anglia, and Fr Henry Whisenant was appointed as the Chaplain. The first Mass was on the Feast of the Assumption, and, since then Mass has been offered every day in the Extraordinary Form. In fact, the congregation has turned out to be so large that there are now two Masses on Sundays.

East Anglia is the only diocese in England and Wales to have a Latin Mass Chaplaincy with a dedicated church and served by a diocesan priest. For this we must thank Bishop Alan Hopes and the Fenwick family who have made the church and presbytery available.

The altar and painting of the crucifixion were formerly at Giffords Hal

The interior has great charm…

The church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund, King and Martyr: at the time of opening, it was one of only four Catholic churches in Suffolk