St Martin's Church is located in the village of

Nacton Nacton is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. The parish is bounded by the neighbouring parishes of Levington to the east and Bucklesham in the north. It is located between the to ...

near

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

. It is an active

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

in the deanery of Colneys, part of the archdeaconry of Norfolk, and the

Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is a Church of England diocese based in Ipswich, covering Suffolk (excluding Lowestoft). The cathedral is St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and the bishop is the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is part ...

. St Martin's Church was listed at Grade II* on 16 March 1966.

History

The church is originally medieval in origin with major reworking carried out in the early 20th century at which point both a north aisle, organ chamber and vestry were added. The tower originally from the 15th century was remodelled in the late 18th to early 19th century to remove the belfry and redesign to the current parapet.

Memorials

The church contains memorials to several local families in various forms. Located in the North aisle are memorials for

Edward Vernon Admiral Edward Vernon (12 November 1684 – 30 October 1757) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral after 46 years service. As a vice admiral during the War of Jenkins' E ...

and family. Located in the nave is a memorial to

Philip Broke Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke, 1st Baronet (; 9 September 1776 – 2 January 1841) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. During his lifetime, he was often referred to as "Broke ...

and a 15th-century brasswork is mounted in the floor in memory of Richard Fastolph of

Broke Hall Broke Hall is an English country house at Nacton, near Ipswich, Suffolk. It overlooks the River Orwell, opposite Pin Mill. The gardens were landscaped by Humphry Repton in 1794, and the house is Grade II* listed. The site was purchased by Si ...

. A south transept forms a memorial

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

to the Broke family including reference to acts during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Glasswork

The church contains several

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows ranging from medieval through to the 1920s. Pieces of glasswork include a 1913 depiction of the Adoration of the Shepherds and

Magi Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...

Burlison and Grylls Burlison and Grylls is an English company who produced stained glass windows from 1868 onwards. The company of Burlison and Grylls was founded in 1868 at the instigation of the architects George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Both John Bur ...

and a memorials to both Herbert Pretyman and for the safe return of two members of the same family from World War I. Also displayed in glass are the heraldric symbols of the local Broke families marriages dating from the 1860s.

References

{{reflist Church of England church buildings in Suffolk Grade II* listed churches in Suffolk Nacton

History

Memorials

Glasswork

See also

References