St Margaret of Antioch

The church of St Margaret of Antioch sits in the heart of the picturesque village of Thrandeston on the Suffolk/Norfolk border. Whilst close to the market towns of Diss and Eye, the village feels remote and is home to a number of farms and attractive listed properties. The area is popular with walkers and cyclists.

The chancel is 13th century with the remainder of the church being added two centuries later. The nave has four bays with north and south aisles and porches. The chancel is lower than the nave and has a marked incline to the south.

The bench ends in the nave have poppy heads, four of which have figures of saints. Beyond the chancel screen the choir stalls have panelled and traceried frontals, poppy head ends and on the north side two fascinating figures reputed to be witches one holding a cat and the other what appears to be an owl. How and why they come to be depicted in the church remains a matter of debate.

The font is 15th century and retains its original timber cover with crocketed pinnacle. The stained glass is worthy of attention. Of particular note is a window on the north side of the nave which contains a collection of fragments of medieval glass. 

The church has links to the Cornwallis, Sulyard and Blakely families. Within the church grounds are the War Memorial and three Blakely Monuments. The Thrandeston History and Heritage Group has started work to research those named on the War Memorial. Details are available in the church.