St Mary

St Mary's majestic tower, reckoned to be one of the fifty finest medieval church towers in England, dominates the skyline of Dedham Vale and can be seen from miles around.

In the words of John Constable, who painted the church on a number of occasions 'The tower is the church’s grandest feature, which from its commanding height seems to impress on the surrounding country its own sacred dignity of character'. He also described the soaring and supremely elegant arch beneath it as “the crowning beauty of the interior”. There is known to have been a church on the site for over 1000 years, but today’s building is largely 15th century, in the perpendicular style. Its patron during that rebuilding was Sir John Howard, raised in the village, and right-hand man of both Edward IV and Richard III, who created him Duke of Norfolk in 1483. His coat of arms of Howard impaling Tendring may be found in several places.

Other special features of the interior include the font, clearly marked with the rose en soleil badge of Edward IV and with panels of the emblems of the four Evangelists; and the original and almost unique 15th century south doors, exquisitely carved in oak. There are a number of brasses, including those of Sir William de Tendring (d1408), which is considered to be a portrait; and of Lady Catherine Howard (d1465), first wife of Sir John, and ancestress of Queens Ann Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Elizabeth I. There are two conspicuous monuments, one to Sir Francis Mannock (d1634) of Giffords Hall in the parish; and one to Lady Anne Windsor (d1615), who left an endowment of four almshouses which are still administered by a village committee.

Regrettably it seems that all the mediaeval glass fell victim to Colonel Dowsing’s Parliamentary Commissioners in 1643, and there are other examples of Puritan vandalism to be seen.