St Mary's Church, Ickworth
Encyclopedia
Ickworth Church is a former parish church
located within Ickworth Park
near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk
, England
.
, now owned by the National Trust
. It originally served the people of the Ickworth village, which no longer exists. With the growth of the Ickworth Estate, the church became mainly associated with those living and working within Ickworth House
and its Park. It is also the principal burial place of the Hervey family
, who owned and lived at Ickworth from the mid 15th century to 1998.
and every Marquess of Bristol
has been buried there, as were many of their daughters and wives. The 6th Marquess
(d. 1985) was buried in Monaco for 25 years until the 8th Marquess
had him reinterred in the vault of Ickworth Church in October 2010.
to safeguard the future of Ickworth Church. His half-brother the 7th Marquess
bought the church from the church commissioners (after they made it redundant in the 1970s) in 1986, after which it fell into a state of disrepair. The plan is now to restore the church to its former glory.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
located within Ickworth Park
Ickworth House
Ickworth House is a country house outside Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is a neoclassical structure topped by a giant rotunda in a park extending to 1800 acres. It is in the care of the National Trust, and, as part of the Ickworth House, Park & Garden property, is open to the...
near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The church is located within view of Ickworth HouseIckworth House
Ickworth House is a country house outside Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is a neoclassical structure topped by a giant rotunda in a park extending to 1800 acres. It is in the care of the National Trust, and, as part of the Ickworth House, Park & Garden property, is open to the...
, now owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It originally served the people of the Ickworth village, which no longer exists. With the growth of the Ickworth Estate, the church became mainly associated with those living and working within Ickworth House
Ickworth House
Ickworth House is a country house outside Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is a neoclassical structure topped by a giant rotunda in a park extending to 1800 acres. It is in the care of the National Trust, and, as part of the Ickworth House, Park & Garden property, is open to the...
and its Park. It is also the principal burial place of the Hervey family
Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the Hervey family since 1826. The Marquess's subsidiary titles are: Earl of Bristol , Earl Jermyn, of Horningsheath in the County of Suffolk , and Baron Hervey, of Ickworth in the County of Suffolk...
, who owned and lived at Ickworth from the mid 15th century to 1998.
Church Fabric
The church is medieval with major 19th Century alterations. The chancel is mid C13, the north nave doorway is C13 or C14. The chancel has a C15 restored south nave window. A C15 plain Octagonal limestone font. A C17 octagonal pulpit, converted around 1775 into a 3-decker with balustrading and original graining. 20 C17 and C18 marble wall and floor slabs in the chancel, many with carved achievements to members of the Hervey family. 14 C17 and C18 wall tablets in the nave to members of the Hervey family and others. A C15 red-line wall painting of the angel of the Annunciation on east wall of chancel. Roundels of painted Flemish glass dating from C14-C19.Hervey family tombs
The Herveys, who owned Ickworth for almost 500 years, are buried in the vault under the church and in the churchyard. The line of those laid to rest here begins with Thomas Hervey (d. 1467), who was the first of this family to own Ickworth. After him, almost every EarlMarquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the Hervey family since 1826. The Marquess's subsidiary titles are: Earl of Bristol , Earl Jermyn, of Horningsheath in the County of Suffolk , and Baron Hervey, of Ickworth in the County of Suffolk...
and every Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the Hervey family since 1826. The Marquess's subsidiary titles are: Earl of Bristol , Earl Jermyn, of Horningsheath in the County of Suffolk , and Baron Hervey, of Ickworth in the County of Suffolk...
has been buried there, as were many of their daughters and wives. The 6th Marquess
Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol
Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol , was a British aristocrat and businessman. He is notable for having served a jail term for jewel theft...
(d. 1985) was buried in Monaco for 25 years until the 8th Marquess
Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol
Frederick William Augustus Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol , succeeded his elder half-brother the 7th Marquess in January 1999 as Marquess of Bristol...
had him reinterred in the vault of Ickworth Church in October 2010.
The Ickworth Church Conservation Trust (ICCT)
The ICCT was set up by the 8th Marquess of BristolFrederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol
Frederick William Augustus Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol , succeeded his elder half-brother the 7th Marquess in January 1999 as Marquess of Bristol...
to safeguard the future of Ickworth Church. His half-brother the 7th Marquess
John Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol
Frederick William John Augustus Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol , also known as John Jermyn and John Hervey, was a British aristocrat and businessman, notable for his wealth, drug addiction, imprisonment on drugs charges, homosexuality and flamboyant lifestyle.-Family:John was born five years into...
bought the church from the church commissioners (after they made it redundant in the 1970s) in 1986, after which it fell into a state of disrepair. The plan is now to restore the church to its former glory.