Location Orford, Suffolk Denomination Church of England Status Active Parish Orford | Country England Dedication St Bartholomew Functional status Parish church Designated as world heritage site 16 March 1966 | |
Diocese Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Similar Elmhurst Park, Orfordness Lighthouse, Church of St Michael the Archa, Flatford, Long Shop Museum | ||
The Church of St Bartholomew is the parish church of the town of Orford, England. A medieval church, dating from the fourteenth century, with reconstructions in the nineteenth and twentieth century, it is a Grade I listed building. In addition to its listing, the church is notable as the location for the first performances of four of the works of the composer Benjamin Britten: Noye's Fludde, Curlew River, The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal Son.
Contents
History and description
The church comprises a ruined 12th century chancel, begun in 1166 and abandoned in the 18th century, the Decorated nave and aisles, restored in the late 19th century, and the tower, restored in the late 20th century after the collapse of its upper storey in 1830. The chancel to the original church was built at about the same time as Orford Castle, and demonstrates a similar "grandeur". By the eighteenth century, the chancel was completely ruined and reconstruction concentrated on the nave and the tower. In the early 1880s George Edmund Street prepared a plan for a comprehensive restoration of the whole complex but this was not undertaken. Instead, rebuilding work spanned almost a hundred years, with J T Micklethwaite undertaking the reconstruction of the nave and aisles between 1894 and 1900, H M Cautley repairing the chancel in 1930, and Bruce George restoring the tower in 1971–72.
Interior
The font is medieval, with "four lions and four wild men" surrounding its base. Above the altar is a painting of the Holy Family attributed to Raffaellino del Colle. The church contains an impressive selection of memorials and monuments, including one to Benjamin Britten, a green slate slab set in the floor of the nave.