Beyton, Suffolk

On a rare sunny day this August I headed up in to Suffolk, and well out of my catchment area, and began the day at All Saints which set the tone for the day.

Although the trip was truncated due to a slow puncture and an emergency call to return home early this was a really satisfying trip - churches were open, the sun was shining and the contents were mostly great.

All Saints has a round tower, albeit heavily buttressed, which, in my book, is enough to put into a top ten list - I love round towers and you don't get many round here and, according to Mee, it is one of two in Suffolk.

The interior underwent a mid 19th century refurbishment which normally means disaster but in this case I think they did rather a good job (and anyway did I mention it's got a round tower?). When Mee visited he found some old poppyheads but all I could see were the clearly modern chancel poppyheads (which are actually very good).

ALL SAINTS. Norman round (in fact oval) tower with Perp W window. Simple Norman N doorway. Nave 1854; chancel 1885. - BENCHES. Some original ones with poppy-heads and animals on the arms. The backs of the seats are carved too.

BEYTON. It has about 100 ash trees on its green, a stately company, their branches rising above the quaint tiled cottages. By the park of Beyton House stands the little flint church, with a tower built by the Normans and a north doorway as they left it. It is one of the only two buttressed round towers in Suffolk, the other being at Ramsholt. There is a reredos with a Last Supper on a gold mosaic background, old poppyhead stalls with the armrests carved with angels, pelicans, griffins, and horses, a very old roof in the vestry, and a modern oak roof with angels.

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