St Peter and St Paul's Church, Aldeburgh is a Grade II* listed parish church in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the international Alde ...

, Suffolk.

History

The church tower dates from the 14th century, but much of the rest is 16th century, including the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, north aisle and north chapel of 1525–1529; the south aisle and chapel 1534–1535; the south porch of 1539 and the chancel 1545. It was restored between 1870 and 1871 by Henry Perkin and again in 1891 by EF Bishop.

Bells

The church has a ring of 8 bells with all but the 6th bell being cast by

John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry. It is located in Loughborough, ...

at their

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...

foundry in 1960 and 1961 as part of the restoration and augmentation of the ring. The restored bells were rededicated on 18 June 1961. Previously there were six bells which were rehung by George Day of Eye in 1885 with 4th bell recast and treble added by

John Warner & Sons John Warner and Sons was a metalworks and bellfoundry based in various locations in the UK, established in 1739 and dissolved in 1949. Previous businesses A company was founded by Jacob Warner, a Quaker, in 1739 and originally produced water pu ...

to make six. The bells hang in an

iroko Iroko (also known as in Igbo language, '' in the Urhobo language of Southern Nigeria, and as odum in the Kwa languages of Ghana) is a large hardwood tree from the west coast of tropical Africa that can live up to 500 years. This is the common n ...

wooden frame installed at the same time as the bells were overhauled in the 1960s. Peals lasting around 3 hours are rung on the bells most months by members of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers and in 2008 a complaint was lodged with Suffolk Coastal council by a neighbour. The complaint was not upheld and dismissed during a debate in the House of Commons.

Memorials

There is a memorial by Thomas Thurlow to

George Crabbe George Crabbe ( ; 24 December 1754 – 3 February 1832) was an English poet, surgeon and clergyman. He is best known for his early use of the realistic narrative form and his descriptions of middle and working-class life and people. In the 177 ...

the poet (d. 1832) and a monument to Lady Henrietta Vernon, d.1786. The church is most famous as being the burial place of the composer

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

and his partner the tenor

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career starte ...

; also buried in the churchyard are the pioneering doctor

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (9 June 1836 – 17 December 1917) was an English physician and suffragist. She was the first woman to qualify in Britain as a physician and surgeon. She was the co-founder of the first hospital staffed by women, ...

, the soprano

Joan Cross Joan Cross (7 September 1900 – 12 December 1993) was an English soprano, closely associated with the operas of Benjamin Britten. She also sang in the Italian and German operatic repertoires. She later became a musical administrator, taking on ...

and the composer and conductor

Imogen Holst Imogen Clare Holst (; 12 April 1907 – 9 March 1984) was a British composer, arranger, conductor, teacher, musicologist, and festival administrator. The only child of the composer Gustav Holst, she is particularly known for her education ...

. Britten is also commemorated in a stained glass window by John Piper and

Patrick Reyntiens Nicholas Patrick Reyntiens OBE (; 11 December 1925 – 25 October 2021) was a British stained-glass artist, described as "the leading practitioner of stained glass in this country." Personal life Reyntiens was born in December 1925 at 68 Ca ...

. The church also houses a memorial to

Newson Garrett Newson Garrett (31 July 1812 – 4 May 1893) was a maltster, instrumental in the revival of the town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, of which he became mayor at the end of his life. Two of his daughters, Millicent and Elizabeth, became famous as women ...

and his wife, the parents of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. File:Benjamin Britten grave by Arno Drucker.jpg, Grave of

File:Peter Pears grave by Arno Drucker.jpg, Adjoining grave of

Sir Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career started ...

Organ

The church has a two manual pipe organ by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd dating from 1884. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldeburgh Church of England church buildings in Suffolk Grade II* listed churches in Suffolk Aldeburgh