Haughley The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

What’s special?

•  Entering the church through the 13^th century tower, once separate from the church but joined to the south aisle in the 14^th century
•  Beautiful carved angels in the south aisle
•  Striking 19^th century glass in east window depicting the biblical story of St Peter praying for the resurrection of Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead, a prayer that was answered by God
•  Fine East Anglian font showing some of the best woodwoses (wild men) in Suffolk
•  Fascinating 18^th century leather fire buckets. Imagine having only buckets to fetch the water from the nearest pond in the case of a fire in the village! Over 33 buckets used to hang in the porch but these four are now on display in the northwest corner.

 How old is it?

• Sections of the nave date back to the 12^th century and there is known to have been a church in Haughley in Anglo Saxon times. The south aisle was added in the 14^th century and, being dedicated to the Holy Cross, attracted pilgrims to the church.
• The church is said to have got its dedication from the toy fair that was held in the village every year on the Feast of the Assumption but for many years was known simply as St Mary before the Victorians reverted to what was probably the original dedication.

And today?

• The church is open daily to welcome visitors.
• You can take a walk round the village with the help of a Discover Suffolk brochure called Haughley Walks which you can also download from our trails pages.
• Haughley also adjoins the parishes of Woolpit and Shelland where you can pick up the Angels and Pinnacles trails in the yellow cluster.
• Haughley is a great place to linger with places to eat and drink, and if you pass the 16^th century bakehouse in the early morning, you can enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread where the Palmer family still uses traditional brick ovens.

What’s nearby?

• The Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket is just three miles away
• Historic Bury St Edmunds with its Cathedral and Abbey Gardens is a short drive
• The private chapel of the Tyrell family at Gipping St Nicholas, is open daily to visitors. Sir James Tyrell, who built the chapel in the 1470s, is linked with the deaths of the princes in the tower and was executed for treason on the orders of Henry VII