St Mary

Rising gloriously above houses and trees, high on the hill overlooking the town, St Mary’s has been a place of Christian worship in Woodbridge for more than five centuries.

North porch: The building of the porch was initiated in 1455 with a bequest by Richard Gooding and other donations given at that time. It was carefully restored at a considerable cost in 1863/4 when the figures of Our Lady, St Anne and St Etheldreda were placed in the three niches above the entrance arch.

Tower and bell chamber: The impressive tower is lavishly patterned in flushwork flint and stone and stands 108ft high. It was completed in about 1453 when perpendicular architecture was at its zenith. The parapet is considered to be one of the finest in Suffolk. 

Millennium frieze: The 20ft long by 3ft high frieze is a brief history of Woodbridge over the past two thousand years, seen through the eyes of some of the creative and artistic people of the town. It was started in September 1998 and completed in March 2000. 

Font: The octagonal bowl font (crowned by a colourful modern cover) has panels depicting the seven sacraments. There are only 38 of this type in existence and St Mary’s has one of just three which have the crucifixion as the eighth panel. 

Seckford tomb: The history of Woodbridge has been substantially influenced by the life of its greatest benefactor, Thomas Seckford, who was a Tudor statesman, and in 1550,1563 and 1572 was elected to Parliament by the burgesses of Ipswich. In 1587 he decided to donate a measure of his wealth to the town of Woodbridge by founding and endowing ‘certain almshouses’. Thomas Seckford died, without issue, in 1587 and his tomb can be seen on the north wall of the sanctuary. 

East window: Above the altar, allowing light to flood into the church, is a beautiful modern glass window designed by Martin Travers and dedicated in 1946. The central theme of worship shows The Adoration of the Magi at the feet of the Holy Child.